A Pattern
by shadowdweller25
Summary: There's a thin line between genius and insanity. McGee has always been smart, but the team starts to see how smart when a certain case comes along. Papa!Gibbs. 2/6/13: ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** A Pattern

**Rating:** T

**Main Character/s:** Timothy McGee

**Summary:** There's a thin line between genius and insanity. McGee has always been smart, but the team starts to see how smart when a certain case comes along.

**Warnings:** Drama, Language, Case fic, Question of sanity, and future Pre-Slash

This fic was a request by **aims123**

* * *

**A Pattern**

CHAPTER 1

They pulled up to the scene and saw the body lying in the street, the cause parked a few feet away.

"Heck of a way to catch a bus," Tony said as he passed Gibbs. As he looked down at the body, he had to admit that she had been a beauty. She looked like a sweet woman.

Children's cases were always the hardest, but Tony personally thought women's were a close second. He was all for equal rights and equality but women in his book were a little more important than men.

"Gibbs, police think it was an accident," Ziva said as she approached and he took photos.

He wouldn't admit it but he missed McGoo a bit. He's been gone on a two week vacation—had to go or he would have lost it—and wouldn't be back until the end of the following week. It sure has been boring without his Probie.

"Bus driver claims that the victim tried to run the light and missed."

"ID?"

"Navy Lieutenant Clea Thorson. Twenty-nine years old and a chemical engineer. Two tours overseas before joining the Reserves in 2006. I also have a witness that says the victim was acting paranoid prior to the collision. Another says she was mumbling about trying to get away from someone."

"Mental problems?" he asked. It wouldn't be the first they've dealt with.

Ziva looked down at Clea Thorson. "Maybe she really was running away from someone."

Tony looked past Gibbs to see Ducky and Palmer coming. "Good morning all. And who do we have the privilege today?"

"Navy Lieutenant Clea Thorson," Tony answered.

Ducky looked at the bus behind Tony and back to Clea Thorson. "Pedestrian versus bus. How unfortunate."

"Walk on the green, not in between." They all looked at Palmer. "I'm sorry. I used to say that to myself when I was a kid whenever I wandered into the… Never mind, never mind."

"Yes, well, severe trauma to the head. Consistent with the collision. The impact threw the victim 12 to 15 feet, making the speed of the bus at the point of collision…?"

See, they needed McGeek. He would have known that answer in a split second.

Palmer on the other hand looked like he was trying to figure it out but couldn't. Tony didn't even bother trying. Math hadn't been his strongest subject.

"Uh…"

"15 to 20 miles an hour, Mr. Palmer. I suggest you work on your math a bit."

"Yes Doctor Mallard."

Ducky looked down at the woman between them again. "Are those scratches on her hands, Mr. Palmer?"

Palmer bent down and turned her hand to see. Tony lifted the camera to take the picture for evidence.

"Naturally, she would have extended her arms to protect herself. Oh."

And Palmer raised her sleeves.

On the woman's arm was something he'd never seen. Math symbols and numbers and things he's only seen in Abby's lab were written in blue and black ink on her pale arm. They all leaned in to see closer before Gibbs ordered for Palmer to check the other arm. And just as suspected, there was more and even more on her flat stomach. Tony had to remind himself to take pictures of the strange site.

"Looks like my cheat sheet from an eighth grade math final."

Tony had to agree with Palmer on that.

"Whatever this is, Mr. Palmer, I am certain that you did not learn it in eighth grade."

* * *

They were back at NCIS and going over what they knew of Thorson.

"It seems Lieutenant Thorson was something of an overachiever."

"Background?"

"Graduated first in her class from MIT." Reminded him of his own Probie.

Ziva picked up. "While she was in the service, she led a civil engineering project to rebuild water systems in Iraq. She was on 21."

"Recruited by every biotech firm in the country. She chose Martin Stillwell's Gen-1 Biotech Inc. in D.C. Stillwell became the CEO after Robert Carter who ran it for nearly thirty years before him."

"She was working on a research project there until two weeks ago."

Gibbs stared at them. "Why?"

"Quit. Not sure why, Boss."

"A spotless military record."

"Family?" he asked.

"Never married. No children. No boyfriend to speak of. Only relative is her mother in Boston and she's on the way as we speak."

Tony turned to the temporary cybercrimes agent that they had at their disposal and gave the go ahead to speak of what else they had. He was all up for pranking and jokes but didn't seem right when he had his own Probie to do it to. He would just have to wait until he got back and then do some major catching up.

"Um, Agent Gibbs, there's no current address except for one six months ago. A-And no credit or cell traces. But…I-I did find a bank account in Maryland where she deposited over $20,000 every week."

"After she quit."

Tony added, "Maybe she was working on the sly."

"Find out who was paying her," Gibbs demanded before leaving, no doubt to check up on the autopsy and Abby.

He and Ziva headed to her desk while Tony addressed the other agent. "We'll figure that out while you go through email and see if you can find anything."

They worked silently for a while before the other agent spoke. "Um, Agent DiNozzo."

"Yeah?"

"Where's Agent McGee? Doesn't he usually do this stuff for you guys?"

"Probie's out on vacation time, Lawson."

"Oh."

Ziva threw him a look. "What?"

"Do you even know where he is on his vacation?"

"Of course I do," he scoffed.

"I find it hard to believe that McGee would tell you where he was going."

Putting a hand over his heart with fake hurt, he mock pouted. "I'm hurt Ziva. I'm hurt that you don't think my Probie would trust me with that information. McGeek tells me everything."

Besides, he knew Probie and he knew he didn't like vacations. So he knew McGee was actually just lounging at his apartment, probably using the time to do some writing. And he did _not_ drive by to check.

"Give me something DiNozzo," Gibbs ordered when he came in minutes later.

"Nothing on the money trail yet Boss."

"Agent Lawson?"

"Uh, found a video in Thorson's email." And he clicked it to play on the screen.

_"__You ungrateful bitch. You're not going anywhere. And if you do leave me, I will make your life hell."_

Tony chuckled. "Wow, Mel Gibson much?"

"Huh. There was no evidence that Thorson had a boyfriend," Ziva said.

"Lawson."

"Finding the IP address." Tony watched him and knew the answer was going to be interesting when he saw the look on Lawson's face. "Okay, uh, this i-isn't her boyfriend. It's her boss."

* * *

Tony and Ziva approached Martin Stillwell. "We have a few questions for you Mr. Stillwell."

He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and sighed. "Yes. It's sad to hear about Clea. She was a great person."

"You didn't sound like you liked her on the video. Can make a man go a little nuts after getting dumped, huh?"

Stillwell started to fix his cuffs and Tony quickly picked up on the gesture as the man needing to gather his thoughts. "Clea and I had a professional working relationship. I gave her a break in this business. I nurtured her."

Oh yeah, he was sure there was some nurturing.

"From what we saw of your video, you were not too happy about letting her quit," Ziva suggested.

"Yet, I let her go." Tony could see that the decision didn't sit well with the man.

"I take it you didn't really want to."

"Clea was a brilliant woman. A genius. I'd never known or worked with anyone like her. But what comes along with all that brilliance, are certain challenges."

"What kind of challenges?"

"When it came to working…she didn't work well with others. Everything had to be her way or no way. She nearly became impossible to deal with during her research project at Norfolk."

"Then why did it take you so long to fire her?" Ziva asked.

The fury that flashed in Stillwell's eyes almost had him go for his weapon. "Because I wasn't going to be like that goddamned Carter and let another genius slip through this company's fingers. We took a hit that lasted a while after we lost that kid, and I didn't want that to happen again. That kid was a hell of a lot smarter than Einstein, a bit obsessed with his work but still, he was a prodigy and made this company millions. I didn't want that to happen again, but I had no choice to let her go. Not to mention she had gotten help from that...kid," he spat.

Ziva and Tony glanced at each other, surprised by this new flow of information. "What was the kid's name?"

* * *

Lorrain Thorson stared at the small photo in her hand and Gibbs gave her time. "Who did this? Who killed my little girl?"

"Was she in any trouble?"

"Everything was fine," she said. "Clea was just fine until she left her job."

"Any idea why she left?"

"No. But she kept sending money. Told me to hold onto it in case anything should happen." She shook her head. "She was scared. At first, I thought it was the meds, but this…this was different."

He stared at the mother in front of him and stopped writing. "Meds?"

"It started when she was about 4. Mood swings, manic behavior, insomnia. She struggled till her early teens." He could hear the struggle she had to keep it together but she did in the end. "Then we found the right doctor, the right medication and everything was under control. I had my daughter back. Until recently."

He shook his head at what he had heard. "It had to be hard."

Lorrain nodded. "It was." She traced the face on the picture of a younger Clea Thorson. "Something had my daughter shaken up. And I don't think it was her illness." She sniffed and he handed her a tissue which she thanked him for.

"Can you think of anything that could have?"

"No," she shook her head. "But I could only guess it had to do with work. Clea wasn't very social and didn't have friends. Her boss wasn't happy about her wanting to leave."

"Do you know why?"

"He didn't want to be like the previous CEO of the company from what she told me. The previous CEO, Robert Carter, had let a brilliant engineer, like her, leave. Though, from what she told me, she's nothing like the one who left the company last time and the company really took a hit after he left. My daughter isn't awed by many, Agent Gibbs, with her own IQ at 150, but she was awed by this young man and he was only 16 when he started and 21 when he left."

Gibbs frowned at the fact a kid had worked in Navy research, and for five years. He asked, "Do you know who the kid was?"

The mother frowned in thought. "Let me see. I know she told me his name once because she mentioned finding and meeting him to find out how to get out of working there."

He sat quietly as she tried to remember the name and froze at the name that passed her lips. "McGee. Timothy McGee."

* * *

Tim gasped as he bolted awake, his eyes looking around as sweat trailed down his face. He thought back to what he had dreamed about, but couldn't remember any of it. Groaning, he lied back down and tried to catch his breath. It wasn't till he looked at what time it was that he realized how late in the day he had slept. Getting up, he took care of his business, and showered, needing to get clean after waking up in a sweat.

After he changed his sheets, he found Jethro in the living room. "Hey boy," he greeted and knelt down to give him a pet. He was surprised Jethro hadn't tried waking him up at all to go to the bathroom. It was when Jethro whined and nudged under his chin that he had a good idea Jethro had waited for him. Tim wasn't above admitting that he had not only been hesitant but downright scared to take Jethro in after that case. He had suffered from a few nightmares the first month Jethro stayed with him, but he had gotten over it. Had gotten better. And what started as a bad start had became a wonderful friendship between man and dog. He wouldn't trade Jethro for anything. He loved his German Shepard.

"I know boy. Sorry if I scared you." He still suffered from nightmares every now and again but for the life of him he couldn't remember them the next morning. And Jethro was very protective of Tim. If he had a nightmare, he stayed with him and didn't wake him in the morning if it was a really bad one. "But that's over with and I think you deserve a little something extra today. What do you think?"

Jethro's tail started wagging excitedly and he pulled back to run for the leash, sitting by the door with it hanging in his mouth. Tim chuckled. "How bout we eat first, then we'll go to the park? Then, we'll come back and watch some television." Jethro barked in agreement and Tim smiled before he got the dog food and fed Jethro.

They ate together, Tim eating at the counter of course, before they finished up and Tim put the leash on Jethro before heading out. They headed to the park, Jethro's favorite place. He loved to play with the other dogs but he loved it more if Tim brought a ball, frisbee, or his favorite rubber ring to play with.

As they were on their walk, Tim just enjoyed the time to himself. He had been against going on a vacation, but a direct order from Gibbs and Vance, and he was made to go. Tim didn't like vacations that much, so he just figured he'd lounge at home and work on his new book, spend time with Jethro. It was pretty nice. He just hoped he could make it for two weeks, because a few days of being away from crime and murder was nice, but two whole weeks by himself…he wasn't sure if he could make it before he died of boredom.

When they reached the park, he let Jethro off his leash to run around and play with the other dogs while he sat on a bench. He took a calming breath and smiled when Jethro looked back at him before continuing to play. Dog was too protective sometimes. After a good five to ten minutes, Jethro came back to him and nudged his pocket. "What's that boy? You want something?"

Jethro continued to nudge his pocket and jump back, leaning on his front with his back in the air, his tail wagging, and his tongue hanging out. And he kept repeating till Tim took mercy on him and took out the blue rubber ring toy that has been chewed on for a long time but still wasn't broken. "Ready?"

At the woof, Tim threw it high and long and watched Jethro run after it, jumping to catch it and toss his head back and forth with a soft growl before running back. They played catch for a long while before Jethro looked tired. Tim walked Jethro back to the apartment where they both got some water before crashing on the couch where Tim put in a movie. Jethro didn't mind regular television, _Animal Planet, _of course being the favorite, but he was a movie lover. His favorites were _101 Dalmatians_ (Disney cartoon), _Die Hard_ series, and _The Fugitive._ He blamed Tony for that.

They were just getting to the part where Horace and Jasper had the puppies cornered in the abandoned De Vil place, Jethro growling beside him, when his cell phone rang. Chuckling as Jethro barked along with the cartoon puppies as Perdi and Pongo fought the goons, he answered without looking, "Tony, I blame you for the fact my dog watches a Disney cartoon."

"McGee."

"Boss?" he frowned, pausing the movie and petting Jethro when he looked at Tim like he was crazy for doing such a thing. "Hey, what's up?"

"Need you to come in."

"Um, Boss, I'm on vacation remember? You and Director Vance ordered it."

"Need you to come in for questioning."

He frowned even more. "What? What'd I do?"

"Clea Thorson?"

Tim sucked in a gasp at the name and the fact that Gibbs knew her. No one was supposed to know her at work. But if Gibbs knew about her... "Is she…"

"This morning."

He closed his eyes and turned into Jethro's fur for a bit of comfort. He hadn't known Clea much, but he had tried to help her as much as he could. And now…she was dead and his team was working on it. That wasn't good. Wasn't good for him.

Taking a deep breath, he sighed, "I'll be right there."

* * *

**A/N: I don't think I've ever been more excited to write a story. And if it wasn't for aims123 I wouldn't have even thought of this. **

**PLEASE REVIEW! They're appreciated. **


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

"Boss!"

Gibbs looked up to see DiNozzo and Ziva quickly making their way to their bullpen, just as he was about to make a phone call. "Yeah."

"You'll never believe what we found out."

Oh, he had a good idea what they found out. "McGee knew Lieutenant Thorson?"

Tony and Ziva glanced at each other before frowning at him as he put the phone to his ear. "Well…yeah. How'd you know?"

"Thorson told her mother about McGee. Just about to call him."

"He's only at his apartment," Tony said but Gibbs ignored him.

His mind was still trying to catch up and understand that McGee used to work in Navy Research before coming to NCIS. And for five years. He knew his agent was smart, from the very beginning, but he was starting to wonder how smart, how he hid it, and why he hid it in the first place.

McGee picked up after the third ring. "Tony, I blame you for the fact my dog watches a Disney cartoon."

"McGee."

"Boss?" He could hear the confusion in realizing it was him and not Tony calling. After all, he did order McGee to go on a vacation and Gibbs didn't call unless there was a case. "Hey, what's up?"

"Need you to come in."

"Um, Boss, I'm on vacation, remember? You and Director Vance ordered it."

"Need you to come in for questioning."

"…What? What'd I do?" He would have smiled at the question if it wasn't so serious.

"Clea Thorson?"

He heard McGee suck in a gasp at the name before he asked, "Is she…?"

"This morning."

Taking a deep breath, he sighed, "I'll be right there," and hung up.

Gibbs hung up his own phone before getting up. He had a good twenty minutes before McGee showed up. "Let me know when McGee shows up," he instructed before making his way down to autopsy so he could see how much Ducky got so far.

"Thanks for this Ducky. Tony's pictures are okay, but I'd like to get my own. This is just fascinating."

He found Abby standing in front of Ducky and taking pictures of the woman's markings. "Need you to be working Abby."

Ducky looked up and sighed in relief. "Oh Jethro, thank heavens."

"Hey Gibbs. I will, I just wanted to get a better look at these."

"Can you tell what they are?" he asked and nodded to Ducky to let him know he would have Abby out in no time. But he wanted to know first if she could tell what was written on Clea Thorson's body.

"No. But I can find out," Abby assured. She stood there looking at the writing before realizing that he was staring at her. "Which I'll go do right now," she said before heading out.

Gibbs shook his head before looking back to Ducky. "Hey Duck, whatcha got so far?"

"Aside from the writing and trauma her body took by being hit by a bus, I found something interesting. Mr. Palmer."

"Her spleen was expanded to twice its size," Palmer said as he held the organ. "So were the rest of her organs."

"She had almost complete organ failure. Not to mention extremely dehydrated."

"Poison?"

Ducky shook his head. "I don't know what kind, but yes. The thing is, I can't figure out how she absorbed it. She didn't just ingest it like most poison is administered. It's been in her system for sometime though Jethro."

"…She was dying."

"And I'm afraid how she was poisoned runs under your position."

He nodded as he stared down at the woman. His thoughts returned to her connection to McGee. How did his agent know this woman? How did McGee work for Gen-1 at such a young age and them not know about it? That was what had him stumped the most. McGee working at Gen1 wasn't in his file when it should be.

"Jethro?" Gibbs looked up at Ducky. "Something's troubling you."

"It's McGee."

Ducky seemed alert and it didn't escape his notice that Palmer also looked alarmed. "He's not hurt is he?" he asked. "I know he should be on vacation."

"No," he shook his head.

"Then what has you troubled?"

"He knows the victim."

Ducky and Palmer looked down at Clea Thorson before Ducky sent Palmer a look that he understood. Palmer left the autopsy and once the doors closed, Ducky asked, "How does he know the victim?"

"Apparently, he worked at Gen-1, where Lieutenant Thorson previously worked, before becoming an agent. Gen-1 is a biotech lab."

The doctor frowned in confusion. "Are you sure Jethro? To become an agent you must be 21 and I find it hard to believe that our Timothy worked there before then."

"Oh he did," he said, his frustration mounting. "For five years before leaving and apparently he helped our Lieutenant get out of working at Gen-1 a few weeks ago."

Ducky looked at him over the table and asked, "How did you find this out?"

He nodded to the woman between them. "Her mother."

"Ah."

"What?"

"Nothing Jethro, I just see that that frustrates you. Maybe even angers you."

"What?"

The man sent him a look that had him looking away and back down to Thorson. "A mother of our victim, a woman you haven't met till today, knew more about your agent of eight years than you did, Jethro."

His jaw clenched before his cell rang. "Yeah."

"McGee's here."

"I'll be right there."

"Alright Boss."

He closed his cell before heading out. "Got to go Duck. Let me know if you find anything further."

The door's closed behind him and he didn't see the look Ducky sent him.

* * *

Tim rode the elevator up to the squad room and never felt more nervous as he gripped onto his backpack. How much did they know? What did they know?

He had worked hard to hide his past. Altering information, sticking to the story, and being able to answer easily when questioned about it. Now, all that work, was gone and he was going to have to face the music.

The elevator doors opened and he headed to the team's bullpen, gulping when he saw Tony look his way and automatically reach for the phone. No doubt calling Gibbs to let him know he was there. Ziva turned and nodded when he stopped in front of them.

"Where's Gibbs?"

"On the way," Tony said as he hung up.

Tim looked between them and saw them staring at him puzzled. He wondered how much they knew, but knew that whatever they did know, it wasn't enough. And he planned to keep it that way. He didn't want them knowing.

"McGee!"

"Yes Boss," he said and stood at attention, watching Gibbs approach.

The man grabbed a file off his desk as he continued walking, and said, "With me," as he passed. Tim quickly made sure to keep up with Gibbs fast stride. The man may be an inch or two shorter than him, but the man was quick and it took a while when he started as an agent to get used to following his fast pace.

Gibbs opened the door to a conference room and ushered him in before shutting the door. "Take a seat McGee."

Sitting down, he waited until Gibbs was seated at the head of the table and get situated. He watched the man open the file and look at a few things and Tim felt his back straighten. He knew he was here for questioning on how he knew Clea, but this was Gibbs' move to seem calm and unintimidating before he really let it lose on a suspect.

He wasn't a suspect and he didn't appreciate his boss setting up like he was about to interrogate him as one.

"How do you know Lieutenant Thorson?"

"You already know. Or you wouldn't have called me, Boss."

"Answer the question McGee."

Sighing, he answered, "She sought me out for help with getting out of work at Gen-1 and I helped her. How did she die?"

"…Hit by bus."

He stared at his boss and saw something in his eyes that had him shaking his head. "No she wasn't. Or she was but that's not the real cause of her death."

Gibbs set down his pen and leaned forward, his eyes boring into his eyes. Those steel blue eyes stared at him and Tim just stared back. Finally Gibbs answered, "She was poisoned."

Tim frowned. "Why?"

"That's what we're trying to find out. Do you know anyone who would want to do that?"

"I didn't know her," he shook his head. "I didn't know her personally anyway. Like I said, she sought me out, told me what her problem was, and I helped. We may have talked a few times afterwards but it wasn't much."

"What can you tell me about Stillwell?"

"…The guy's ambitious and could be a slave driver, but he's not a killer."

To tell the truth, Tim hated the guy and was happy he got out when he did. Carter hadn't worked long after Tim left, in fact, he left by the end of the year Tim did, but Tim still knew the guy. Stillwell had worked under Carter and the days that Carter would be out on business trips, Stillwell would take it upon himself to be the boss and sometimes come into the lab and try to push them to work faster on whatever they were working on.

He remembered one incident where Tim had been working with some chemicals that had to be handled carefully. Stillwell barged in and started on Tim to work faster and bumped him, tipping his hand and making his mixture explode. He ended up in the hospital and his right hand had to get surgery for skin graft.

Tim had been stuck to the desk with writing ideas and math while he recovered and Carter had given Stillwell a tongue-lashing that left him with his tail between his legs. It was why he was left handed now. He used to be right handed, but after the lab accident, he was stuck writing with his left for months, and it stuck.

Tim looked at Gibbs and asked, "Can I see her?"

He eyed him for a while before he pulled out a picture of Clea and set it in front of him. Tim looked down at the picture and stared at the pale face of Clea Thorson. She really was pretty, and it saddened him that her life was taken so early. Her mind was brilliant, she had shown him some of the things she was working on and ideas she had, and they were creative and affective.

Her coming into his life had been a bit of a thrill because she understood him and he understood her. They were alike.

Geniuses had to stick together.

He slid the photo back to Gibbs and watched the man open his file to put it back in when Tim's hand snapped out to grab his wrist. There was a photo peaking out and he saw it was writing on skin. Reaching out, he slid the photo out of the file and brought it closer to look at. The symbols and numbers stood out against her fair skin but what stood out more was the pattern.

Grabbing the file, he pulled out the other photos and spread them out. He tried to put them in the order it would be if she was lying out on the table right now, but it wasn't enough. There was a pattern but without the correct pieces, he couldn't see it.

Getting up, he headed out the room. Only goal was to see Clea's body.

"McGee!"

"Can't talk right now," he said as he tried to get the elevator to come, but it wasn't fast enough. He jogged down the stairs, ignoring Gibbs' calling his name, and headed for the stairwell, ignoring Tony and Ziva as he passed the bullpen.

When he reached the right floor, he made his way to autopsy and when the doors opened, he saw Clea's face immediately.

"Timothy?"

He glanced at Ducky, but he wasn't important. Clea was. Tim walked over to Clea and after setting down his backpack and pulling back the sheet; he looked at all the symbols.

"Jethro, what is going on?"

"Wish I knew, Duck," he growled, but again Tim ignored them.

His eyes scanned over the math and he held out an arm. "I need a pen and paper." When all he heard was silence, he looked over to see his team, Ducky and Palmer, looking at him confused and as if he was crazy. Shaking his head, he mumbled, "I'll just write it down later," to himself and looked back at Clea to let his eyes run over and remember each and every symbol and number, where it was and what color it was written in.

His memory was sharp and he didn't forget anything.

"McGee, what's going on?"

"There's a pattern," he said.

Footsteps reached his ears as he was now remembering her arm. "Timothy."

"Hmm." There was coordinates written in the crease of her arm and he put up a mental flag to see to those first.

"You see a pattern."

He blinked up at Ducky. "Well, yeah, don't you?"

"No," he shook his head, "we don't."

"Huh," and he looked back down at her arm. "She wrote it herself if you were wondering," he said simply as he went to her other arm. "She's ambidextrous."

Ducky leaning forward pulled his attention away from Clea's arm for a second and he saw the man looking at him curiously. "Timothy, are you remembering the writing?"

"Yeah," he said and again went back to her arm. "You wouldn't hand me paper, so I'm remembering it. I'll write it out later."

"You can do that?" Tony asked.

"I can do a lot of things."

"Apparently," Ziva said.

He paused and glanced at her, Gibbs, and Tony before going to her torso. There was a reason Clea wrote on herself, wrote it the way it was. And now, he had to solve it. Finishing, he pulled the sheet back up to cover Clea's body and turned to his boss. "Do you need anything else?"

Tony's head jerked as if he said something offensive while Ziva looked to Gibbs. Gibbs stared at him again with his steel blue eyes and asked, "You see a pattern?"

"Yeah."

"Can you figure it out?"

Tim didn't answer.

"Then I want you to work it here. You can work in Abby's lab."

"No."

The silence was deafening but he wasn't budging. _If_ he was going to work on Clea's work there, he refused to work in Abby's lab. On most days he could barely tolerate working with her music. But not just that, no doubt this case already intrigued her and he wasn't going to try and work with her talking his ear off and asking off questions.

"Then where would you suggest Timothy?" Ducky asked softly, as if trying to not spook a cornered animal.

Inwardly scoffing at the handling, he shrugged nonchalantly, "An interrogation room will work. I'll just have to get a few things." Nodding, he started to head out after grabbing his backpack but paused to say, "She has coordinates on the crease of her left elbow," and then walked out.

* * *

Gibbs watched his agent walk out of autopsy and couldn't ignore his gut. Something was setting it off and he wasn't about to ignore it. When McGee had been staring at Thorson's body, it was like Tim was absorbed in the writing. Not like Abby earlier, she had been puzzled by the "indecipherable puzzle" but Tim was sucked into more. And when he was finished…memorizing it…it was like he was completely different.

_"Do you need anything else?"_

That was it. As if he wasn't just standing right beside a woman that he knew and talked to. As if he hadn't just looked over her dead naked body just to memorize symbols and numbers.

This McGee was a bit unsettling.

So, telling Tony to find the coordinates and take Ziva with him, he went to grab an agent that he could trust to keep an eye on Tim.

He walked over to Agent Barrett's bullpen. "Agent Gibbs," Barrett greeted.

He didn't like the woman, and he didn't trust her, but Agent Cade was her man and he was who he trusted to keep an eye on Tim, aside from his own agents. But they were busy with a case.

"Agent Barrett, you got a case?"

"Not at the moment, no."

"Need to borrow Agent Cade."

Barrett looked at said man before asking, "Can I ask for what?"

His lips quirked as he said, "Need his…assets for something."

Again she looked at the huge man before nodding. "Go ahead. We're working cold cases anyway."

Nodding, he motioned for Agent Cade to follow him and he found Tim in Interrogation room 1. Agent Cade joined him in the observation room and Gibbs watched his man. He was alone for only a few minutes but already in a few minutes, he had grabbed a dry-erase board from somewhere, dry-erase markers, paper, pens, highlighters, and a laptop. Right now, Tim was facing the mirror/window and was writing down math he never saw outside of Abby's lab.

"Agent Gibbs, what is he doing?"

"A Navy Lieutenant was killed this morning and we found some interesting markings on her body. Agent McGee saw a pattern and is trying to figure it out."

"Agent Gibbs…"

He looked up at Agent Cade—the guy ate too much greens when he was a kid—and saw the man frowning. "Yeah?"

"How smart exactly is Agent McGee?"

Just yesterday he would have just told Agent Cade, "Smart and bright," but now… Now, he didn't know how to answer that after all he learned that day and as he watched McGee write on the mirror without pause. And his lips were moving as he wrote quickly, something Gibbs knew McGee did when he was absorbed in his work. Usually though, he only did it when working on the computer.

"He's smart."

Cade snorted. "No offense Agent Gibbs, but that man in there is in no way just _smart_. I have a high IQ myself, but I have no idea what he's doing in there, or what he's writing."

McGee was switching between a blue and black marker and Gibbs realized with a start that McGee was doing exactly what he said he would do. He was rewriting what was written on Thorson's body. All straight from his mind.

"So, what do you need me to do? I hope it's not helping him because I wouldn't be much help."

"I need you to watch him."

Thankfully Cade didn't look offended with a babysitting job. He just looked thoughtful. "Why?"

He continued to watch McGee as his hand flew as it wrote and answered truthfully. "My gut."

Cade stared down at him before nodding. "You got yourself a babysitter."

* * *

**A/N: Want to thank everyone for the reviews, alerts, and favorites. Also...I think I should mention that further into the story, there will be pre-slash. Sorry to anyone who doesn't like that, but I thought I'd mention it so you're not blindsided when we get there.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! They're appreciated.**


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

A formula. It was a formal, but it was only a piece. There was more to it.

Clea was brilliant. Everything was in a code and in pieces. Figure the code, find the pieces, and you solve the puzzle. Tim couldn't have been more proud of the woman. She really did have a beautiful mind.

He stared at the mirror before looking at the whiteboard. He needed more.

His eyes drawn to the coordinates, he pulled up the search on his laptop and found the address. Maybe that would help him. He had to understand Clea better to know where to find the pieces.

So, grabbing his bag and keys, he exited the interrogation room and taped up a sign of _Do Not Enter_. He refused anyone to try and disturb his work.

Making his way out and to his car, he drove to the location as the formula and code repeated in his mind.

* * *

Agent Cade drove a few cars behind Agent McGee and made a call.

"Gibbs."

"Agent Gibbs, its Agent Cade. Agent McGee left the building and is now headed somewhere."

Gibbs cursed and asked, "Delaney Street Southeast?"

Cade frowned as he turned when McGee did. "Yeah."

"Alright. Don't follow him in, my agents are already there."

"Alright sir."

He hung up and sure enough, when he pulled into the street, he saw not only McGee's car, but one of NCIS' Chargers and what looked like Ms. Sciuto's hearse parked. He parked his car and sat back to wait.

Cade had just spent the past half hour watching Agent McGee work like something he's never seen before. He had written on the entire mirror/window in the interrogation room with formulas and math he hadn't used before, only to circle what he could only guess was important and then rewrite it on the whiteboard. The writing looked like complete chaos but McGee had looked at it like it was in complete order.

He always knew McGee was smart and something special—you had to, to work for Gibbs and deal with DiNozzo so much—but it wasn't till today that he saw how smart and special.

Tim was one of those beautiful minds.

* * *

Tony closed the cell. "Heads up, McGee's on the way."

Abby looked up from the computer frowning. "McGee? I thought he was on vacation."

"Was, until we found out that McGee knew Lieutenant Thorson before she died," Ziva said.

"He did?"

"Yeah, apparently our McProbie not only knew her, but he used to work at Gen-1 before working to become an agent."

Tony watched Abby frown and shake her head in denial. "No. Timmy would have told us about that. He would have told me. And besides, they're like engineers and scientists over there. You don't get that kind of degree easy."

"Well, it's true, Abs." And man did he hate it.

It was like he didn't know Probie at all. Just when he thought he knew McGee, he found out that before NCIS, he worked at a biotech lab and was some kind of prodigy. Tony knew McGee was smart, but being a prodigy and working at Gen-1 at the age of sixteen…that was beyond smart. How could they not have known?

They heard the door open and they turned to watch McGee pass the sheet. Tony watched concerned as the man was mumbling to himself and his glove covered hands seemed to be writing into the air in front of him.

McGee stopped when he saw Thorson's space and seemed…enchanted was the word. He didn't even seem to realize that his team was there. He just started looking at all the papers that were hanging on the lines and the writing on the whiteboards, even on the windows.

"McGee?"

McGee jumped at Abby's voice and blinked when he looked at them. "Oh, hey," he said before going back to Thorson's writing.

Abby stood from the computer and approached McGee with a bounce in her step. Tony knew this case was fascinating to the Goth, a woman genius who wrote on herself to hide her work, but where Abby felt like she connected with the woman, McGee seemed connected to the work. It was odd.

According to Abby, she had taken photos of Thorson and stared at her before she even saw that they weren't just writings of a genius, but an indecipherable puzzle. Whereas with McGee, he only looked at one photo and saw it immediately.

"It's awesome isn't it? I mean, this woman is a genius and the way she dedicated herself to hide her work…I'm a fan," she smiled.

McGee didn't even acknowledge Abby and Abby frowned at McGee before looking back at him and Ziva. Ziva just frowned while Tony shrugged his shoulders and went to work. They had a job to do and Probie had his. But that didn't stop him from keeping an eye on his partner.

"Can I see that?"

Ziva paused before handing the journal to McGee who flipped through the pages. He seemed to be reading it and Tony again was questioning how much they knew about their teammate.

"The same," he mumbled shaking his head, closing the journal and absently handing it back to Ziva as he moved around the room, "but not the same. Extension…second piece."

He had no idea what he was mumbling about it worried him further. McGee seemed to have the same focus and dedication as this woman and that scared him as he opened a drawer and saw a number of pill bottles.

Tony saw his partner pass her table and stop to stare down at the sentence that Thorson had written over and over again. _They're going to kill me._ McGee reached out and smoothed his fingers over it, looking sad.

He walked over to Abby and Ziva, showing them the pill bottles. "Maybe Alice took a bit too many pills in Wonderland."

"DiNozzo," McGee said and Tony was so surprised at not only his partner addressing him by his last name but his tone that he turned to face him. "Clea was smarter than you can imagine, not to mention dead. Have respect."

"McGee, I think we need to consider the possibility that Lieutenant Thorson's paranoia was imagined."

McGee looked back down at the written down repeated sentence before turning away. "Not every smart person's insane, DiNozzo."

And as Tony watched McGee, he started to wonder more about his partner. Has he been accused of being insane? He must have because it was all in his behavior and body language. He seemed understanding and defensive, but Tony kept quiet and turned to back to women to get moving on their jobs. There would be a time when they could ask their questions.

* * *

They didn't understand. Clea may be brilliant, but she wasn't crazy. People just liked to put a label on the challenges that came with brilliance.

He walked over to the big whiteboard and stared at her work. Clea had been dedicated, but he already knew that. And he had more of the puzzle. All of this was an extension and second part to what had been on her body. It wasn't even all of it. There was something missing.

Dihydroxyacetone, glucose, fruceose, fructose GF…it was all only a piece and not everything. Oxygen, water, nitrogen, glyceraldehyde. Mr. K. He had to find this Mr. K. Maybe he had the last piece and knew what it was. Or maybe the science professor at the university she went to, or maybe her professor was Mr. K.

No time to waste.

He headed out of Clea's working space and barely recognized that the others had left and he was alone. Tim got in his car and headed back to NCIS so he could work further and do a few searches. Then tomorrow he would head out and find what her puzzle was missing.

Arriving at NCIS, he headed into the elevator and went back to the room where his work was. Everything was as it had been and he got to work. He rewrote the extension of the formula and taped them up on the walls in their correct order. Some going in front of another, some under another as it looped around, and when he finished taping them up, he saw he almost had a full circle. But that last piece was left it completely unfinished.

He needed another dry-erase board.

Tim headed up the squad room to find one and absently passed the bullpen.

"Keeps everyone around him on a pretty tight leash, huh?"

"In some ways, yes."

She had to have hidden it, and if not on her own body or in her working sanctuary, which every scientist had, then she had to have given it to someone. Someone she trusted. He hoped it was with this Mr. K or professor. No one else was mentioned. Her mother definitely didn't have it.

Clea had told him that her mother lived in Boston, and she wouldn't keep a part of her work so far away.

He pushed the board and headed for the interrogation room when he passed the bullpen and ran into Gibbs.

"McGee."

Tim looked at Gibbs. "Yeah?"

"…What are you doing?"

"Need more space to write. There's a huge piece missing and until I can find it, I'll try to figure it out myself. It shouldn't be too hard."

Gibbs stared at him for a good while, and Tim didn't miss the worried look in his eyes. But it wasn't welcomed. He was fine, he just had to find the answer to the puzzle and finish it. Clea would have wanted it that way. "Tim…"

"McGee?" They both turned to the woman behind Tim who was looking at him curiously. "Timothy McGee?"

Tim frowned but nodded and watched the woman beam at him.

"Oh my God! You're _The _Timothy McGee." She gave a nervous chuckle. "April Ferris," she greeted with her hand out. Tim stared down at the hand before giving it a short shake. "I'm a _huge_ fan of your work with Gen-1. I mean, I dedicated my work to be like yours."

Tim continued to frown as he eyed the woman. He really didn't like the idea of someone trying to have their work like his. It should be their own. Being inspired was fine, but to try and make your work a copy of someone else's work? No.

All he did was nod when she seemed to be waiting for a response.

"I used to work with Clea and she told me all about you," she gushed. "I mean, she told me that she had the honor of meeting you and that you were as…wonderful," she sighed and Tim's skin itched at the way she stared at him, "as said."

He glanced at Gibbs who was staring at the woman with a frown and Tim could see Tony and Ziva watching too. Gibbs coughed to get Ferris' attention.

She blushed and shook her head. "Sorry. Just, it's a little surreal that I'm meeting you. You know, Clea said that her latest project was inspired by you. She said there was something about you that just got her mind going. You made quite an impact on her because this last project, she was really dedicated." Ferris glanced at the whiteboard he still had a hold on. "May I ask what you're working on? I couldn't help but overhear."

Tim looked to Gibbs who was still watching Miss Ferris before giving a nod. "I'm trying to work on what Clea was."

"Oh," she frowned, "so you know what it is?"

"No."

"Then…"

"I'm working to find out what it is. Whatever it was, it caused her death."

Ferris looked down at that and Tim watched her compose herself before she looked back up. "Well, I'd be happy to help you if you'd like." She offered him a smile which he didn't return.

He immediately shook his head at that. "No. Uh, no thank you," he corrected. "I work better alone."

"Oh, okay." She gave a weak and sad smile before turning to Tony and Ziva. "I hope you find her killer," she said before turning to leave. But not before she spoke to Tim. "It was nice meeting you," she said before heading to the elevator.

Tim watched Ferris before turning back to Gibbs. "Can I go now?"

Gibbs stared at him with a blank face before nodding and Tim headed back to his work. He had a long way to go.

* * *

"Boss."

"Yeah." Gibbs looked up to look at Tony sitting at his desk.

"Have you seen McGee?"

Gibbs looked at the time and realized how late it was. And he hadn't gotten a call from Cade to let him know if McGee had left. Getting up, he ordered his agents to head home while he headed to the observation room and saw Agent Cade sitting there, watching McGee.

He stood in front of the glass and his gut went off like a goddamn siren. He had seen the pictures of Lieutenant's space and the interrogation room almost looked like it. Marker covered the mirror/window from end to end and from top to bottom. Two walls were covered with paper that had McGee's writing written all over it while the adjacent wall had paper in the shape of a circle, but had a missing piece. Two whiteboards stood to the side and they too had writing on it, McGee standing in front of one.

Tim hunched over while working and every now and again he'd look at something on the wall or mirror and then go back to his whiteboard.

"He's been like this since he got back from getting the whiteboard," Cade said as he too watched McGee.

Gibbs wasn't above admitting that he was worried about McGee. He was obsessed. Like Clea. He had seen the footage of her time in that work place and she functioned like clockwork. Obsessed with her work. It worried him that Tim was going to get obsessed. Even more obsessed than now.

"Go on, get some sleep," he instructed.

Cade stood with a stretch. "You want me to watch him tomorrow?"

"…You interested?" he asked with a look.

Cade shrugged. "The kid's different and I wouldn't mind watching him to make sure he doesn't get in trouble. Besides, I got a soft spot for whoever can work with DiNozzo for how long he has."

Smirking, Gibbs jerked his head towards the door. "If you don't have a case, then I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night Agent Gibbs."

Agent Cade left the room and Gibbs turned back to watch McGee a bit more before he left too, but made his way to the interrogation room door. "McGee," he said as he opened the door.

McGee might as well have been in a different place with the response he got. Nothing. McGee just continued working, oblivious to the outside world.

"McGee!"

"Boss!" he jumped and looked at him. "Sorry, uh, what…" he rubbed his eyes, "what's up?"

"Take a break McGee."

"But…"

"No buts. Go home, get rest, see to Jethro. I don't want to see you till tomorrow."

"But…"

"No buts." McGee stared at him and Gibbs saw the testing look in his eyes, but before McGee could open his mouth, he shook his head. "No. You want to leave Jethro alone all night?"

McGee sighed before giving a short nod and capping the marker. He grabbed his bag and laptop before leaving the room. Gibbs watched him put up a _Do Not Enter_ sign before they headed to the elevator to head down to the garage.

The silence between them wasn't pleasant but it wasn't completely uncomfortable. McGee just seemed to be a million miles away as they rode the elevator and walked to their cars. Gibbs watched McGee absently get behind the wheel and not ignoring his gut, he followed his youngest agent back to his apartment and stayed until he watched him make it into his apartment.

His gut was still eating at him, but he drove away as there was nothing he could do for McGee at the moment.

* * *

Tim put his laptop and bag down before walking to the small kitchen. "Hey boy," he greeted as Jethro came up to him for a pet. "Sorry I've been gone so long." He fed his dog and ate a small dinner before taking Jethro out on a walk since he's been cooped up in the small apartment since he left.

His mind wandered as he walked, the formulas running over and over through his mind. He planned to go find Mr. K the next day so he could find the missing piece of the puzzle.

They made it back to the apartment and Tim went to go take a shower while Jethro watched _Animal Planet_.

The water ran down and over his head as he sat in the bathtub. He drew his knees up to his chest and rested his head on his knees as the water sprayed down on him.

This case has already knocked him off kilter somewhat, it had uprooted his routine. He had a routine to things and it helped him keep order in his life, an order that he needed to function. If anything disrupted it too badly, he was off and his mind tended to go to places that he needed to stay away from.

He's worked hard to hide his past, done so much to keep it hidden. And now, in one day, it became known. And he knew that once the case was over, his mind and what he'd hidden wouldn't be over. The team would demand answers, explanations, and God forbid what Vance was going to do. He had lied about his history on his application to become an agent and that was an offense. Hell, he lied on a lie detector test when they asked if he's ever committed a crime and that was considered a crime.

Who knew what was going to happen to his career after this.

After he'd been in the shower for probably close to half an hour, he stood and gave himself a quick wash before getting out and putting on some sweats. He slumped into his bedroom before collapsing on the bed, Jethro joining him and he was out quick.

* * *

**A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! They're appreciated.**


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Tim blinked his eyes open only a few hours later. Rubbing his eyes, he slowly sat up and looked around. Nothing was out of place and everything was the same. Jethro lied at the end of the bed, watching him as he woke when Tim woke.

Absentmindedly, he got up and went to the bathroom, taking care of business before taking a shower. He worked on autopilot, a routine that he's had since he was a kid, as his mind whirled with formulas and math. Problems and patterns that needed to be deciphered.

Taking care of Jethro and leaving a message for the kid who usually took care of Jethro now and again, he headed out to go back to NCIS.

"Hey Agent McGee," Dave at the entrance said, "you're here early."

Blinking and focusing on Dave, he nodded. "Uh, yeah. Work."

"I hear ya. You have some days that the work won't leave you alone."

"Yeah. Thanks Dave," he said as he walked towards the elevator.

He was ready to head straight to the work room, his mind already reading with new possible answers that needed to be written out, when his hand hovered over the buttons. The last time he saw Clea, wasn't that long ago and she had been a breathing woman with brilliant ideas and plans. She was an inspired woman and he had tried to help her. Now, she was dead and he was trying to solve her puzzle.

Selecting a floor, he waited till the elevator stopped before stepping out and staring at the autopsy doors. Taking the last step needed for them to open, his eyes found the wall that held the bodies and hesitantly went in search for her.

He finally found her in the middle bottom drawer.

Staring at her cold lifeless body, he felt his knees tremble and slumped to the floor, his back to the chill metal of the drawers. Trying to catch his breath, he finally turned his head to look at Clea again and stared. He had seen plenty of dead bodies in all kinds of states; before autopsy, middle of autopsy, after autopsy, ready for burial. It was all the same to him really, his mind just cataloging the differences. But this was different.

He's met Clea, talked with her, even argued a time or two on some scientist's new theory or experiment. He wasn't friends with her, but he knew her, connected with her in a way that his team couldn't. She understood him and he understood her. They respected each other.

"We're a lot alike Clea," he said as he stared at her pale unmoving face. "You know that already, it's why you came to me for help. It's why we got a long so well. I just wish we could have had more time to actually become friends. I know how hard it is to, especially with our minds."

His eyes traced the faint markings on her skin.

"There was this saying that someone close to me used to say when I had…moments. _'The principal mark of a genius is not perfection but originality, the opening of new frontiers.'_ I know your obsession wasn't for perfecting your puzzle and your formula; it was to making a major breakthrough in your work. I know that. I just have to figure it out Clea."

He reached out to lightly touch her hair when her eyes blinked opened and she looked his way, smiling. "You'll figure it out Tim. I know you will."

"It won't be much longer. I'm almost through finishing it. I just need that final piece."

"'_Persons of genius, and those who are most capable of art, are always most fond of nature: as such are chiefly sensible, that all art consists in the imitation and study of nature.'_"

Tim smiled. "I don't think the pope was a big fan of science when he said that. More for geniuses in art."

"Our work is art."

"Agreed." He paused as he thought about a certain case before speaking. "There was, uh, this case we had," he suddenly confessed, needing to get it off his chest, "where we had to go visit and interview children who were prodigies on their own. The victim worked there. There was this one girl," he swallowed, "that painted this piece of art work. It was a puzzle inside itself and it was…a masterpiece. You would have appreciated it. Everyone saw just colors and squares, but the minute I saw it, I knew it was more. So did Gibbs, which was why he had it taken. But I never said anything," he admitted with a bit of shame. "I never told the team that I knew what it was and that I knew how to crack it. I just left it to Abby to solve on her computer so that I didn't get asked questions."

He pushed a lock of hair away from her forehead and finally said, "It hurts to hide at times."

"Timothy?"

Blinking, he snapped his hand back and turned to face Ducky who stood a few feet away, staring at him with his ever calm and assuring eyes. Looking back to the dead face of Clea, he stood back up and greeted, "Oh, hi Ducky."

"Hi."

"Sorry, I uh…"

"It's quite alright. How long have you been here?"

Looking at the clock he was surprised to see it had been a little over an hour since he entered autopsy. "Not long. Just wanted to see her one last time I guess."

Ducky stepped closer to stand on the other side of Clea. "Fascinating case I should say. Brilliant woman."

"You have no idea," he mumbled as he looked back down at Clea.

"We could study her brain for years and never know just what made her tick." Yeah, he understood that. It had been a running joke when he was younger. People signing him up for his body to be donated when he died so that they could figure out how he tick and just what it was that made him…come up with the things he did. "But I suppose that could be said for any one of us."

Absently nodding, he continued to stare at Clea.

"Young Abigail is fascinated with the case as well, she was here last night."

Yeah, he figured. Abby would feel "connected" to Clea. He wasn't knocking it—Abby was a smart woman and a little different and Clea was a brilliant woman—but she just didn't understand. Clea was all about science, it was how her mind worked. It was how Tim's mind worked. He saw everything in science and math; he just perfected the art of hiding it from others. Clea wouldn't let her emotions get the better of her while Abby was all about emotions and feelings, and frankly more about finding her killer. She was never going to crack it that way.

"…talking about the order in the chaos and the nature of things."

The symbol!

His hand snapped out to grab Ducky to get him to stop talking so he could think clearly.

The whiteboard and the notebook, the little scribbled symbol. It wasn't mathematical or scientific, or even just a doodle to make sure the marker or pen was working. It was important.

He needed to get to the work room.

"Thanks Ducky," he said with a small hug and then quickly made his way out of autopsy and to the stairs. He didn't want to wait for the elevator as people were going to start changing shifts and the elevator would be busy.

He ran up the stairs and to the right floor, walking into the interrogation room where all his work was and found his paper where the symbol was. He had recreated everything the day before with a little order of his own and he quickly found the symbol. Looking at the fanned marks, he called up the memory of the symbol in her journal where it was around the writing of her college mentor.

In the journal was about the bus line and how she rode it every day, and he remembered her talking about it. Their minds were chaotic at most times, and they needed an order or routine to keep focused and on task. He had told her his and then she told him hers. And riding the bus was one of the things she did.

He grabbed his laptop and found the time and place for where to start and hoped that he found what he needed.

* * *

Agent Cade stepped into the observation room while drinking some of his coffee and wasn't surprised to see McGee on the other side. David had let him know that he was there, but he was surprised to see how awake he was. He was hunched over the desk, writing down something, and when he looked closer, he was a little, twitchy.

He blinked a little irregularly and occasionally when he paused to think he would look off into space, lips moving as if talking, and then went back to writing. It was a little unnerving as he'd never seen Agent McGee like that before. Sure he'd seen the lips thing but that was when he was doing something complicated on the computer and talking himself through it.

The twitchiness was what had him a little worried.

How many hours did the young man sleep? Did he sleep at all?

Cade took a seat, drinking at his coffee. He didn't have to worry about Barrett calling for him and demanding he get to work since he had called her the night before to tell her that he needed the next few days off to watch McGee. She hadn't been the happiest about having one of her agents on a babysitting job, but he wouldn't budge.

He liked McGee and he owed one to Gibbs.

When he was younger—pointless saying littler since that was a _long_ time ago—he used to live in Gibbs' neighborhood and almost got into some trouble that would have gotten him arrested. But Gibbs had gotten a hold of him before that happened and basically turned his life around. Gave him a goal and something to focus on, and now he worked in NCIS on a team that he was proud of. And right next to Gibbs.

He owed Gibbs.

He was brought out of his musings when Agent McGee stood from his desk and grabbed his bag, leaving through the door. Cade was ready to get up to follow when the door to the observation room opened and McGee stood there with a raised eyebrow.

"I know when someone's watching me and you've been watching me since yesterday. If you're ordered to follow me then you might as well ride along."

A little surprised, he only paused for a few seconds before standing up and followed Tim out. They made their way to the garage and McGee was again off in thought, twitching and mouthing his thoughts. Cade just stayed quiet and kept to himself, sending off a quick text to Gibbs that he was leaving the building with McGee.

"My car's a little small for you," McGee suddenly informed and Cade had to agree. It was the pain of being his size. He couldn't ride in the fantastic wonder of sport cars. So nodding to his own car, they made their way over and got in.

"Where to?"

Gibbs looked at his cell when a text came through and read that Cade was leaving with McGee. Seemed all those years on his team taught Tim when to know when he was being followed. _'Atta boy, Tim.'_

But he was still worried. A call from Ducky told him that Tim had been down in autopsy, talking to Clea, and a talk with David at the front told him that Tim had come in real early in the morning. Earlier than Gibbs.

He was worried.

"McGee alright Boss?"

Looking up to Tony, he saw the same worry though Tony didn't know everything about what was going on with Tim. He just knew the small things from yesterday, but even those small things had been enough to worry Tony too.

"Yeah. So, what have we got?"

"From what Miss Ferris—Lieutenant Thorson's colleague—brought us yesterday, I found a calendar book and it turns out that Clea is supposed to have a final meeting with a Mr. K at a diner. Later this afternoon."

He looked to Ziva. "Say where?"

"Wiley's Café across town."

Nodding, he jerked his head. "Go. Find out if any of the workers have noticed her there before and this Mr. K."

"On it Boss."

"On it Gibbs."

He watched them go before putting down his pen and heading down to autopsy. He wanted to talk to Ducky.

"Ah Jethro, I was wondering when you would come visit."

"You expecting me?" he asked as he walked over to where Ducky was standing beside Lieutenant Thorson's body.

"Given the fact that I called you to let you know that our young Timothy was down here, I should say so."

Rolling his eyes, he glanced down at the young woman and asked, "How did he look?"

"…Troubled."

"Someone he knew died," he argued.

But Ducky shook his head. "Before I would have said so, but this new Timothy… This Timothy seems to work differently. He works with facts and facts alone. His mind has cataloged that Lieutenant Thorson has died and that his job is to crack this puzzle that she left behind. That is his goal and his focus. It's not to find who killed Miss Thorson like you all are and what most would do. He has left that job to you. No doubt that if he finds anything that should help he would supply it, like the coordinates on her arm, but he is set to find the answer to this code."

Gibbs stared at his friend and didn't know how to feel about what he heard. It wasn't the Agent Timothy McGee that he knew and trained.

"The code that needs to be cracked is what's troubling him. Not that a person he knew was murdered. What's more troubling Jethro is his little behavior. It's not unusual for us to talk to the dead, I do it myself as you know, and frankly, sometimes they talk back to us. And for Timothy, well, that seemed to be happening when I walked in and heard him talking to her as if having a conversation."

Ducky suddenly looked grave and that worried Gibbs, more than anything else he had heard. "Jethro, he seemed…twitchy. If I didn't know young Timothy, I would have thought he was on drugs."

Suddenly alert, he thought of the behavior that mirrored Lieutenant Thorson and worried Tim was poisoned. But why, how, and who would poison Tim? Whipping out his cell phone, he sent a text to Cade to keep an extra eye on Tim and not to let him out of his sight.

"Jethro, I think you ought to give Abby a visit. She too was down here last night talking to this young woman."

Yeah, he didn't doubt it.

Nodding, he gave his thanks and headed out and to Abby's lab. But it was empty. Frowning, he turned back to head out and try and find Abby, to make sure she was okay.

It wasn't long before he found her in the interrogation room Tim had been using to work. She was looking around with a small frown and sad eyes. "Abby?"

Jumping, she turned to look at him and waved her hand around at all the papers and writing. "Gibbs?"

"Tim's working on it."

"So am I but you don't see my lab looking like this."

He stepped more into the room, shutting the door, before looking around again at everything Tim had worked on in the previous day.

"Gibbs, I'm worried about him. Not once did he come visit me yesterday, asking for help or just to say hi. How does he have this whole history that we don't know? That I don't know? He tells me everything."

_'Apparently not.'_

Gibbs just answered, "I don't know yet Abs. We'll figure it out, but first we have to finish this case."

Abby nodded, again looking around, before walking over for a hug that Gibbs returned. "Promise me you'll make sure Timmy stays safe."

"Promise."

* * *

Gibbs was sitting at his desk a little over an hour later when his cell phone rang. "Gibbs."

"Gibbs! I lost him!"

"You what?" he demanded.

"I lost Tim," Cade huffed as he ran, Gibbs could hear the pounding of his feet. "I argued with him and he got on a bus. Before I could get on, the driver closed the doors and drove away."

Trying to stay calm, he ordered, "Get in your car and follow him."

"We've been riding buses for the past two hours, Gibbs. Tim could be on a whole new bus by the time I even get back to my car."

"Alright," he sighed. "We'll track him. You just get back here."

"Alright."

Hanging up he called Abby. "Abby, I need you to track McGee's cell phone."

Thankfully she did it right away instead of wasting time by freaking out. "I'm on it Bossman." He heard the clicking of the keys. "Bringing up the grid now… I can't find him," she moaned. "Gibbs, I'll keep trying to find him but McGee could disappear easily with the way he knows how computers work, so if he wanted to, he could make sure he isn't found till he wants to be found."

"Abby."

"But like I said, I'll keep trying."

Nodding, he said his thanks before hanging up and praying they found Tim soon. He didn't like the idea of him out there alone.

* * *

"How did you find me exactly?"

"I followed Clea's path. It only took eight buses and ten miles on foot."

Professor Redner handed over a tea mug that he graciously took. "If it was Clea, she had a reason."

Tim nodded. "I theorized that she was scared. She told me that she liked riding the bus; that it was what she did every day. But I think that she realized someone was following her so she lengthened it, made the rides loop around and go off so that she lost whoever it was and she could still get to you."

"The same person that hurt her?"

Blinking at the saddened look on his face, he gently nodded. "Yeah."

"I was worried something had happened," he said, shaking his head, "when she didn't show the other day."

"So…she was on her way to see you when she died."

Professor Redner looked down. "I can't believe that she's gone."

Tim watched the sadness pass through the man's eyes and suddenly wondered if this was a somewhat version of how Carter felt when Tim ended up in the hospital from the explosion in the lab. Carter was Tim's mentor, just as Professor Redner was Clea's.

"Well, she left her work behind obviously. And…I'm trying to figure it out." He walked over to his bag to pull out his own notebook that he put together of the work, sitting down in the chair. "See, Clea put her work into…a pattern. To protect it. And I just need that final piece because whatever it is, it got her killed." He passed the notebook to him when he took the seat beside him. "Do you recognize any of this?" he asked.

Professor Redner looked at the work and shook his head. "There's obviously a focus on hydrogen and carbon dioxide, which you've noticed, but the rest… No, I'm sorry."

Sighing, he took the notebook back and let his eyes and brain fill with the numbers and symbols again.

"Clea kept her projects secret, even from me. To be honest, if she would share it with anyone, it would have been you. She told me of the time she met you," he said with a small smile and Tim gave a small one back. "She even told me this latest one was inspired by you."

"Yeah," he mumbled as he remembered Miss Farris from the day before mentioning it. "If I can only remember what I did or said that was inspiration for something."

Professor Redner shook his head. "There's no telling."

Tim frowned as he continued to think, his mind running. "There had to be something. Oh, she wrote about a Mr. K."

Nodding, he said, "She mentioned him a few times, yes."

"Ever by name?"

"No. Sorry."

Sighing, he gave a tired nod. "It's alright. I just figured it had to be something. This last piece is missing and the last place I can think of is her mother, but she wouldn't keep a piece of her work that far away from her."

They sat in silence, both thinking, before Professor Redner stood and went to the other side of his lab desk. "You know, Clea gave me something a few years ago. We would read from it during her visits. It seemed to calm her." He came to sit back down and showed the book _Leaves of Grass with Autobiography_ by Whitman. "Maybe it could do the same for you as you were alike."

He stared at the green book and when he realized Professor Redner was waiting for him, he clued in to what he meant. "Oh, no I couldn't take it. That was a gift."

"Science is poetry, Mister McGee. It's about making order—"

"From chaos," he interrupted, nodding his head. "Yeah, tell me about it. I do it all the time, especially in the past."

"Then it's in good hands. Besides, I'm sure Clea would have wanted you to enjoy it."

Knowing the older man wasn't going to take no for an answer, he took the book in his hands and set it on his lap.

"I'm glad Clea found a confidant in you when she couldn't come to me."

Tim softly smiled. "We geniuses have to stick together." The professor watched as he gently smoothed the cover of the book. "Geniuses are the lowest on the food chain when it comes to school, and that's even if they come along since geniuses are very few. Jocks and popular kids pick on the geeks, and the geeks who resent them for being smarter pick on the geniuses."

Tony's pranks and hazing was nothing compared to when he was little.

"So when a fellow genius came to me for help, to get out from under a bully that I used to know and partially work for, I gladly helped."

And he didn't regret it. Only that he couldn't help her more.

* * *

"We are not sure what to believe at this point."

Gibbs walked around the corner with Ziva and Tony as they explained their trip to the café.

"Meeting with Mr. K wasn't what we'd hoped for," Tony said.

"He never showed?"

"You could say that."

"The restaurant manager confirmed Lieutenant Thorson was there many times these past two weeks. Dates correspond to meetings found in her calendar. Look." Ziva handed the folder as he finished walking around his desk while Tony grabbed the video clicker.

"We got video footage."

Sighing as he looked at the facts, he ordered, "Let's see it," and watched as the video played.

Lieutenant Thorson sat in a booth in the corner, a cup of coffee in front of her. She was talking angrily. Alone. There was no one else with her.

"First I thought maybe she was on her phone," Tony said as he zoomed on her booth, "but manager says that she stays like this for about an hour every time."

Ziva added, "He kicked her out after a customer complained that she was getting too loud."

He continued to watch the woman argue with thin air and gently ordered them to turn it off as an image of his younger agent came to mind and he didn't like it. He looked over at Abby who was sitting at Tim's desk, watching sadly at the video. After Tim had disappeared, she had been working hard to try and find him and gave up trying to figure out the code.

"Gibbs, McGee turned his cell phone back on. I'm going to try and find him."

Tony turned to Agent Cade who had been silently watching and listening from beside Abby. "So, big Agent Cade couldn't even keep track of little Probie in the field."

"DiNozzo." He didn't want this now. He had a missing agent and a delusional victim that has sent them on a chase for a Mr. K that didn't exist.

Cade looked between the video and Tony. "Who's going to tell Agent McGee?"

"I nominate you big guy."

"DiNozzo," he snapped and watched Tony clench his jaw before walking over to his desk to sit. He knew Tony was worried about Tim, but his jokes weren't helping. "I'll do it," he said as he picked up the phone to just call Tim. That way was easiest to find him.

But Ziva spoke before he could. "Well, someone will have to and quickly."

He turned to watch McGee walk into the bullpen, ignoring Abby's question on if he was alright. "Boss," he smiled, "crazy day. You wouldn't believe where I've been. Wanna guess? No, okay."

"McGee."

"So I found Clea's college mentor, Professor Daniel Redner. We talked about poetry, he made tea—reminded me of Ducky. Hated he poetry, loved the tea. He makes great tea, not as good as Ducky."

"Stop."

"Anyway…where was I? Oh! Ye-yeah, he knows about Mr. K. Well, not his name per say, but he knew that C-Clea was very secretive about him, uh, uh, and her work, so that could mean she felt threatened by him. He may have the final piece. So we have to find Mr. K, Boss."

"TIM!"

Tim froze and stared at Gibbs. "You just said my name. You never call me by my first name."

Guilt went through him, along with worry he hadn't felt in a long time. Tim was all over the place, twitchy and stuttering. Tim hasn't stuttered since his early days and he didn't like seeing it back. Silently, he turned to the plasma and turned the video back on, letting it run to let Tim see.

After a while he stopped it and turned to Tim who continued to stare at the screen. "It's her delusion, Tim."

"I was wrong." His eyes flicked to his. "About you. You don't understand Gibbs. None of you understand." And shaking his head, he walked out of the bullpen and into the elevator.

* * *

Tim felt like hitting something. He had watched the video play, watched Clea rant and point before switching his eyes to see her yelling…at an empty booth. Clea was many things but she wasn't delusional. Mr. K was real and Tim knew it.

Just because she was a genius didn't make her crazy.

With clarity he remembered the way Gibbs looked at him during a case. Gibbs had taken Tim along with him, to another place that worked and challenged brilliant minds. The supervisor had stated that line Tim hated so much.

There's a fine line between genius and insanity.

The look Gibbs had thrown his way had hurt and brought back memories of when he was younger. He was not insane.

He opened the door to his apartment and took care of Jethro. Not much later, he had Jethro relaxed, he took a nice longer shower, and he had his work spread out before him. Hydrogen and carbon dioxide was the key to it all. It was the main focus of the problem. Seeing a certain formula, he took his pen to write it down but the papers slipped through his fingers and slid to the floor.

Sighing, he stared down at the papers and really didn't feel like bending over to get it. He was tired. Getting a nudge and whine from Jethro, he absently ran his fingers through the thick hair before blinking down at his hand.

Huh.

Turning his hand over, he looked at the formula again and picked up the pen. He needed to write it down anyway, why not?

* * *

**A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! They're appreciated.**


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Tim slowly came to at the constant nudge to his hand and shoulder. Pushing away the annoyance, he tried to go back to sleep when the nudging continued, accompanied by a whine. Blinking his eyes slowly open, he looked enough to see Jethro beside him. Now that he knew what it was bothering him, he sighed and flung his arm out to loosely wrap around Jethro, absently petting his hair.

"'S okay Jethro. Go to sleep," he tiredly slurred and when Jethro continued to nudge him, he started to hum. It was real childish but it used to relax him when he was younger, especially when his mother sang it.

_"All around the Mulberry Bush,  
The monkey chased the weasel.  
The monkey thought 'twas all in fun,  
Pop! goes the weasel._

_A penny for a spool of thread,  
A penny for a needle-  
That's the way the money goes,  
Pop! goes the weasel._

_Jimmy's got the whooping cough  
And Timmy's got the measles  
That's the way the story goes  
Pop! goes the weasel."_

Tim thought it would be cool to have a monkey. But tiring. They probably got into a lot of trouble.

Another whine from Jethro had Tim sighing and slowly getting out of bed to go about his business and taking care of Jethro. The walk was short because as they continued to walk—Tim was so tired—he looked away when Jethro did his business and stared at the way the breeze moved the trees.

He always liked fall. The crispness in the air, the nice little chill that went with the bright hot sun. The changing of the leaves, the way they…fell…and covered the grass.

Tim looked around at all the trees before looking down to see that Jethro was finished. "Come on Jethro," he said as he turned to his apartment, his mind bursting with excitement at the breakthrough he just had.

He found Clea's last piece.

* * *

Tony stood beside Gibbs as they stared at the plasma in their bullpen, Ziva joining them to let them know that Stillwell too died of poisoning. He and Boss had gone to see Stillwell when the results came back to the skin that had been found in Lieutenant Thorson's fingernail. Only for him to die right before their eyes.

"Died same way as Thorson."

"You know, Gibbs, maybe Lieutenant Thorson was not so delusional," Ziva said and both men looked at her. "Both Lieutenant Thorson and Stillwell died of poisoning, this project she was working on is probably worth millions."

"Her project's the key," Gibbs cut in with a nod and not looking too happy. It came back to Tim. Hell, none of them were happy about that, especially after the previous day. Tony had been worried and furious when he heard that Agent Cade lost McGee, his Probie.

Tim has been the one and only sturdy constant in Tony's life once he entered it. Through everything that was thrown at the team, Tim has stuck by him and never left. When Gibbs had been in a coma and retired, Tim instantly and proudly stepped up as his second and always had his six. When Jenny died, he offered what little comfort he could by easily saying, "It wasn't your fault." It hadn't lessened the guilt and anger in himself but it had helped to know that Tim didn't blame him and that if needed, he could go to him.

The team splitting had been almost the second worst thing that happened to their team and even then, Tim was there. The night before they went out to drink, just the two of them and with a promise to keep in touch and update on when he could come home, he kept it and kept Tony's hope alive that he would get off that damn ship and come back home where he belonged.

Hell, even when he was undercover with Jeanne and his car blew up, it was Tim who believed Tony was still alive. He wouldn't believe otherwise. And when Ziva left, Tim kept his head in the game and focused.

Tim was his constant and now finding out that he really didn't know him that much—at all—it was throwing him off and made him feel uneasy. Did Tim not trust them, him, to know his past?

"He is the only one to have a breakthrough," Ziva said softly.

"Someone needs to make a breakthrough with him first," he countered.

Tony watched Ziva look around Gibbs and him. "Well, he is here, so who?"

Both men turned to see Tim exit the elevator and make his way to their bullpen with a smile and excitement. It was similar to the previous night and that worried Tony. More so when he looked closer at Tim. He didn't look like he slept, he was paler than normal and he was…twitchy.

"Boss! I did it! I figured it out." He rushed past them to his desk to plug something in and Tony watched with worry how his fingers flied more than usual. And when he looked closely, it looked like he was hitting the backspace a lot. In all the years he's known Tim, he didn't think he's ever hit the backspace. So seeing him have to use it to retype something was offsetting.

And judging by Ziva and Boss' expression, they saw it too and were worried.

"Once you take, uh, away all the symbols and numbers, you g-get two distinct chemical compositions." He clicked something and a picture of Thorson's arm came into view and a blank space with a formula written out. "The first was taken from the writings on her body. It's a u-unique construction of the, the, bacteria _E, coli_."

The stuttering was worrying Tony further, and he wasn't the only one.

"The second composition I found in her loft. It-It was in her writing and I remembered seeing in on the board." Again he clicked and a photo of one of Tim's whiteboards came up along with another blank space with another formula written out. "It's a, uh, synth-synthesis of compounds with the aid of radiant energy. Photosynthesis," he simplified. "And finally! I found the last piece," he grinned before pulling it up. "Clea left her college mentor with a book they liked to read together and I don't know why it didn't click until I was walking Jethro. But it was with that book, more specifically in it. Be-Between the pages.

"See, at first I thought carbon dioxide was the problem. But it-it's not! It's the solution." He blinked a few times before he continued and Tony's worry continued to climb for his partner. "She discovered a way to make fuel from bacteria. This is…revolutionary for green energy. I mean, she, she has figured out how to power the planet out of stuff that we try to get rid of. See," he pointed to the bottom of a page of formulas where a logo was. "I looked up Avaxis and found that the Systems Director Rupert Kritzer is there. Mr. K. He should be here any minute actually."

And just then, the elevator dinged and they turned to see a man exit, being escorted by an officer. "Agent Gibbs, Mr. Rupert Kritzer."

Gibbs nodded before turning to Tony. "DiNozzo, escort Kritzner to Interrogation Room 1."

Ziva watched as Tony looked between McGee and Gibbs before nodding and taking Mr. Kritzer by the elbow to lead him away. Beside her, McGee was twitching and she knew she was not the only one worried about the younger agent.

McGee has been almost a completely different person since the case came to their attention and McGee came in from his vacation. She was not afraid to admit to herself that she was a little scared as she did not know what was going to happen once the case was over.

Would McGee be fired for lying on his background? Would he even be the same? What was going to happen?

"Good work Tim."

McGee blinked at Gibbs' use of his first name again before giving a jerky nod. "Thank you Boss. Oh, here's a file." And he grabbed a file from his bag, handing it to Gibbs.

The older man took the file while staring at Tim who was twitching beside her and barely making eye contact. It was not long before he nodded and turned to leave for interrogation and Ziva turned to McGee. Her friend.

It did not matter what his past was, he was still Timothy no middle name McGee and her friend. And right now, she was worried about her friend.

"How are you McGee?"

"I…uh, I'm fine."

She stared at him as he continued to look around and fidget. His left hand rose to scratch at his right arm and she watched as the sleeve of his shirt moved.

"McGee?"

"What?"

"What…What is on your arm?"

Tim frowned and Ziva's hand shot out before he could move. She grabbed his wrist and raised his sleeve, her eyes widened at what she saw. "McGee."

"It's nothing."

"What's going on?"

Tim started to struggle to cover up his arm, he didn't see what the big deal was, but Ziva's grip was firm—not hurtful—and Tony looked at his arm when he came back into the bullpen. His eyes widened in surprise before they rose to look at him. Worried.

He looked down at his own arm and again didn't see what the big deal was. The symbols and math written in black ink on his forearm stood out against his pale skin. Staring up at him in the face was the work of a genius and the revolutionary product of a beautiful mind.

With care that he didn't think his partner possessed, Tony took his other wrist and pulled back the sleeve, showing his other pale forearm covered in ink. "…Tim."

Shaken, he shivered and tried to pull his arms back but he didn't have the strength. "I-It's nothing."

The feel of Tony's calloused thumb rubbing against the inside of his wrist caused him to shiver again and he couldn't stop. His felt weak and lightheaded, didn't feel so good.

"Tim, let's go see Ducky."

"…No. I'm fine."

"Enlighten me."

Only taking a second to blink at Tony, he nodded slowly before following silently.

Tim wasn't so much following but being led. Tony kept a gently grip of Tim's wrist as he made it to the elevator to get them down to Ducky. Only after giving Ziva a silent look that told her to let Gibbs know when he was out of interrogation. When he walked into the bullpen and saw Tim's arms, his worry skyrocketed and he wouldn't take no for an answer to Tim seeing Ducky. The man needed looking at.

"Ducky."

"Ah, To-good heavens Timothy! What's the matter?"

Tony gently led Tim over to take a seat on the only unoccupied autopsy table with the help of Palmer and kept a grip on his wrist. He could feel the continued twitching and could feel his pulse. It was fast. And he didn't like it.

"I'm fine Ducky," Tim tried to assure but none of them bought it.

Tony shook his head when Ducky looked his way and saw out of the corner of his eye the moment Palmer saw Tim's bare arms and the writings. "Dr. Mallard."

Ducky looked down and only his slightly widened eyes showed his surprise before his face went neutral. "Timothy, I want to take a look at you. Is that alright?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah, sure."

Silently, he watched as Ducky and Palmer checked Tim's heart rate and anything else they needed, even took some of his blood and Palmer rushed to Abby's lab. The whole time Tim sat without saying a word, fidgeting and staring off into space before focusing again on Ducky if he asked a question.

It wasn't long before Gibbs came through the doors with Ziva behind him and immediately came over. "Duck?"

"It's worrisome Jethro. He's worse than yesterday and I'm worried that he's showing signs of what Lieutenant Thorson went through."

"Who would poison Probie?"

"I don't know," Gibbs muttered before taking a step to stand right in front of Tim and raise a hand to rest on his shoulder. Tim barely noticed as he was looking down at his lap. "Tim."

Tim's head slowly rose to look at Gibbs after saying his name two more times and the paleness had Tony tightening his grip on Tim. "Boss? I…I don't feel so good."

An expression he's never seen before crossed Gibbs' eyes before it cleared and he nodded. "We're going to get you to the hospital. Alright Tim?" And at Tim's nod, with a gentleness and care that Tony's only seen him use on the women, Gibbs wrapped his arm around Tim and helped him stand.

Tony tried to help, but when he did, Gibbs shook his head. "DiNozzo, I want you and Ziva to go find what and who did this to Tim and Thorson." Then he left, Tim's head tucked close to Gibbs as they left.

He wanted to follow, he wanted to be there for his Probie, but he had a job to do and his job was to find out what and who hurt Tim. Ready to leave, he turned to head out of autopsy when Ducky spoke up.

"Anthony, I believe I found how Lieutenant Thorson was poisoned. She wasn't poisoned like Stillwell where he ingested it. No, hers was methodical, meaning she absorbed the poison through her skin over a period of two weeks. Possibly mixed in a lotion or some kind of liquid."

He glanced at Ziva, his mind trying to look at Tim's situation like he would a case so he could focus more. "So…someone who knew her...and McGee's rituals."

"I believe so," Ducky nodded.

"Thanks Duck." Hesitating, he asked, "Do you think McGee will be alright?"

"Considering that we caught it in time, I believe so. But recovering may take time. Find who did this and arrest them."

Nodding, he turned and left with Ziva.

* * *

Gibbs drove to Bethesda with Tim asleep in the passenger seat. He wasn't so sure if he should be asleep, if it was safe, but he trusted Ducky. If Tim shouldn't sleep he would have told him while they left.

He pulled up to the hospital and helped Tim out of the car, his mumbling pushing his worry to the limits. Once through the doors he called for a doctor and explained what the problem was and let the doctors whisk Tim away.

Now he had to wait.

* * *

Tony and Ziva walked through the doors of Gen-1 and right in the lobby was Miss Ferris. "Look who's taking center stage," he said sarcastically as they approached her.

The thought that this woman was the cause for the death of Lieutenant Thorson was sad, especially for her reasons, but the anger and pure rage that flowed through him was for her trying to poison Tim as well. He and Ziva had been to Tim's apartment after being at Thorson's loft where they found poison hooked up to the water supply so that Thorson was poisoned as she showered. At Tim's, they found poison as well, hooked up to the compact extra water heater that Tim had for his shower.

She tried to poison Tim and for that he wanted to kick her ass in jail.

"Miss Ferris, we need to talk."

She looked up at them in surprise before looking at the men she had been talking with. "I'm in the middle of a meeting. Can't it wait?"

Smirking, he shook his head. "No."

Ziva flashed her badge. "Gentlemen."

They thankfully left and Ferris stood, looking annoyed and exasperated. "I don't understand. I've helped all that I can."

"No," he said, "you only helped yourself. To a brand-new job, looks like," he added looking around.

"Must feel good to finally be the one in charge."

Eyeing the woman, he spoke after Ziva. "It doesn't suit you, though. You're more of a background player." And with satisfaction he watched her look outraged at his statement.

"I've worked hard for what I have."

"It only got you so far. Lieutenant Thorson was the real deal." With a final blow he added, "You're a phony."

She looked away at that and he glanced at Ziva enough to know that she too was enjoying upsetting the woman.

Miss Ferris looked back at them. "Clea and I weren't competitors. We were friends."

"See," Tony said with a humorless chuckle and shake of his head, "that's what she thought."

Ziva pulled out her notepad before speaking. "This is a direct quote from her journal. "I feel alone at Gen-1 most of the time. I do not like it here. But April makes the days easier. Maybe we will be friends. I trust her.""

The look on her face was enough for Tony. It spoke of guilt and shame and he was glad she felt it though he could see she was trying to push it away. But no matter what it was there now and would stay.

"She never said…" She shook her head. "She didn't care about me."

"It's a terrible thing. Betraying someone's trust like that."

"You have no idea what I went through," she tried to push. "People acted like she was the Second Coming. How do you think that made me feel?"

"Bad enough to kill," he answered while pulling out his cuffs.

Ziva also stepped closer, but in her face while Tony walked behind her to handcuff her. "Why Tim? Why did you poison him too?"

"She had everything," she suddenly cried and Tony wasn't too surprised by her outburst as the whole time earlier she had been trying not to. "She had everything. Everyone here fawned over her, made exceptions, and not only that but to find out she met and spoke with Timothy McGee. No." She gave a small cry as Tony tightened the cuffs. "You have no idea of the sheer brilliance of that man…and Clea had him. And what happens when I finally meet him? He acts like I'm not worth his time, just like everyone here."

"And for that you risked his health?" Ziva frowned as she asked, her own anger for her hurt teammate and friend showing.

Ferris stared at Ziva before shaking her head. "You don't understand."

"You are right. I do not and for that I am glad as I am sure I do not want to know the workings of a phony. Of a backstabber." Ziva glared at Ferris. "…Of a murderer."

Tony gave Ziva a small smile before starting to escort her out of the building with Ziva on the other side. "April Ferris, you are under arrest for the murder of Lieutenant Clea Thorson and the attempted murder of Special Agent Timothy McGee. You have the right to remain silent..."

* * *

Gibbs sadly looked down at his youngest agent; he looked so young and fragile lying there in the hospital bed. The doctors had worked to flush Tim of the poison and it was going to take time as they didn't know how much it was. And now Tim had developed a fever too.

Tony and Ziva were closing the case while Abby cleaned Tim's work room. Ducky called to say that he and Palmer would pick up the dog so he wasn't alone all night and during Tim's time in the hospital. For now he would stay with Ducky.

He was sure the others would be over as soon as they were finished, but for now it was just him and Tim.

Tim has always been different from Tony, Ziva, and even Abby. Gibbs loved him like his own, like a son, but he just didn't know how to approach the kid. Where it was easy to deal with Tony because they were alike, it was a little hard with Tim because they were so different. He thought he had done his best though; giving Tim praise as he worked better with it, head-slapping him like Tony when he really deserved it.

But, he obviously hadn't done enough.

Like calling him by his last name. Why did he call everyone by their first name, but when it came to Tim, he called him McGee? And trust. Tim obviously trusted him with his life, to always have his six, but in the eight years working together, he hadn't earned Tim's trust to let him know about his past.

A past that none of them knew about.

Well, either way, things had to change. But right now, his focus was on his sick agent.

"B...ss…?"

"I'm here Tim," he said as Tim moved until he was comfortable again, his forehead covered with a sheen of sweat. He was still pale, the sweat and the circles under his eyes didn't help.

"I don't feel good."

Memories of a young red-haired girl being sick came to mind and a part of his heart that even Abby hadn't touched in all the years he knew her, Tim struck. In so many ways, Timothy McGee reminded him of Kelly. Where he met his other agents when they already had years of experience under their belt, he met Tim when he was a green agent in a little office in Norfolk. Watching him grow and learn was like watching Kelly learn something new. Like riding a bike for the first time and slowly learning to ride it without her training wheels. Or leaning to play the piano. He was so proud of him.

With care and gentleness, he dabbed at Tim's forehead with a wet cloth and watched as he sighed at the coolness to his flushed heated skin. "Boss…m'tired," he mumbled and Gibbs sadly smiled.

"It's alright Tim. Go to sleep." He wiped Tim's forehead some more before setting it aside and taking his seat beside his bed again.

Gibbs watched his breathing and kept monitor of him, he didn't want to miss if he took a turn for the worse. He thought he was asleep with his deep and slow breathing, but Tim denied that by softly asking, "Stay?"

He nodded even though Tim couldn't see with his eyes closed. He just put his hand over Tim's and assured him, "I'll be here when you wake, son."

Tim's lips turned up in a small smile and Gibbs smiled as Tim fell asleep.

* * *

"Hello."

"Hey."

"Ah…April Ferris. How are you dear?"

"They found out that I did it. You said that I couldn't possibly get caught."

"Well my dear, what can I say?"

"You promised me Timothy and that I would have respect."

"Yes, yes I did."

"You lied."

"Sorry darling but I have bigger plans and you just helped me get the ball rolling."

"What am I going to do?"

"I don't know, and I don't care."

"…I can tell them about you."

"Yes, but who is going to believe you? The name I told you isn't real and after all, you are a murderer in the end. Yes, I gave you a little…push to poison them both, but you did it in the end. Now, I must go."

"Wait! What about me? I can't stay here."

"Oh, you won't. You'll stay there for a few days before they transfer you to another facility. Goodbye my darling. And thank you."

"But—"

He hung up his burn phone and continued to stare at the apartment the street from where he was parked. He watched as the good doctor and his gremlin left with the German shepherd and headed out. No doubt to the hospital to see poor Tim. Poor young man was exhausted and sick.

He hated him.

And he couldn't wait to move on to the next phase of the plan. The excitement that filled him at just the thought of what was to come next had him buzzing and excited down below. Oh, Timothy McGee had no idea that it was far from over.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, this story isn't over with. Not for a while. :)**

**PLEASE REVIEW! They're appreciated.**


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Gibbs jerked awake at the ring of his cell phone. He pulled it out and instantly silenced it before looking over to the hospital bed to see Tim. He was still asleep, as expected, but thankfully looked a little better. His fever broke earlier that early morning and wasn't moving in his sleep so much. After checking Tim, he answered his cell phone as he stood and exited the room.

"Gibbs."

"Do you want to explain to me why I had to hear from Agent Barrett that you had one of her agents on a babysitting job for one of your own? And that said agent, who should be on vacation for the first time in the years he's been here, is not only poisoned as well but apparently has a past that no one knew about."

Gibbs stayed silent until Vance sighed and asked, "What is going on Gibbs?"

Closing his eyes as he leaned against the wall, he answered, "We got a case where our victim knew McGee. I called him to come in and questioned him where he answered some questions. Our victim was…"

"A genius lieutenant that was poisoned," Vance finished. "I have the report right here. What I want to know Gibbs is what is going on with McGee."

Sighing and rubbing the bridge of his nose, he shook his head. "Honestly Leon, I have no idea. We've all been focused on the case and I planned to find out afterwards, but then he was poisoned and he's now out in his bed."

"Why haven't you informed me of the situation when it's been days since you got the case?"

"Been a bit busy with the case and worrying about my sick agent Leon."

Vance sighed. "How is he?"

"Flushed and fever broke a few hours ago."

"…He can't go unpunished Gibbs."

"I know." And damn if he hated that. Tim had lied about his background when applying to become an agent. Plus he obviously deleted, hid, or changed any information about himself so that when NCIS did do a search on him they wouldn't find the things from his past. There was no way he could get away with it now that it was out in the open.

Vance again sighed on the other end before speaking. "Let me know when he's better."

"Leon—"

"That's an order Agent Gibbs."

Gritting his teeth, he forced out, "Yeah." Hanging up, he took a deep breath before letting it out and slipping back into the room after counting backwards for ten.

He stood there just as the door closed, and couldn't stop his lips from twitching up in a smile as he looked over his family. Late the previous night, the team had indeed showed up to see Tim and hadn't left except to go to work earlier that day, taking a few breaks to call and check up on him. And for the past two nights, they had slept in his room—didn't plan to leave until they saw Tim awake—ignoring the nurses until they finally gave in with instructions to not make a lot of noise and to let Tim sleep.

Abby was asleep on the other hospital bed along with Ziva whose snoring was pretty loud. He was surprised the others weren't awake, mostly Abby, because of it. Tony sat in one chair with another pulled up so his feet were propped up. The nurses had brought in another chair for Palmer as Ducky had taken the last chair of the room. And as he went to take his seat beside Tim again, he gave an absent pet to Jethro the mutt's head as he refused to lie anywhere else. He refused to be far away from his master, even going so far as to ignore Abby when she tried to entice him to sleep by her.

Gibbs looked down when the mutt's head snapped up and the rest of his body followed so he was standing and staring at Tim's bed. Looking, he saw why. Tim was starting to stir. Standing back up so he was closer and so he was the first thing Tim saw, he waited as Tim started to come back to consciousness and gave him a small Tim.

"Hey Tim."

Those green eyes blinked slowly before he stared at him blearily. "B…ss…?"

Nodding, he gave a small smile. "Hey," he whispered.

"Wh…?"

"You're in the hospital."

Tim tried to look around before his focus was more on the sleeping team, then finally on the mutt that was staring at Tim with big puppy brown eyes. The small smile from his younger agent made him look so young that Gibbs found himself smiling as Tim moved his hand over enough for Jethro the mutt to nudge him. "Hey…Je'ro."

"He's going to be staying with Ducky until you get better."

"Wh't…?"

"What happened?" At Tim's weak nod, he answered. "April Ferris, Thorson's coworker, poisoned you."

"…Is…?"

"Is she the one to kill Thorson? Yeah."

Tim gave a weak nod before sighing. Gibbs could see his agent wanted to say more but was succumbing to sleep. Letting his fingers thread through Tim's hair, he said, "Go back to sleep, Tim."

"No…" he whispered with a very weak shake of the head and his eyes drooping.

"Yes."

"…Stay?"

Like the first night, Gibbs covered Tim's hand with his own. "Yeah, I'm not going anywhere, son."

Tim gave a small smile that Gibbs returned before falling asleep. He stood beside his bed for a little longer, watching over his sick agent, before sitting back down in his seat, petting the mutt's head when he rested it against his knee.

"He alright Boss?"

Turning his head enough to look over at Tony, he gave a shrug. "Health wise…yeah. He will." But God knows about his mental state.

Tony seemed to pick up on that as well as he looked away from Gibbs to Tim. "You know, I always knew he was smart. Just didn't know he was…this smart."

"I don't think any of us did Tony."

* * *

Leon Vance sighed as he sat back in his chair. He had been gone for a conference and only got back the previous night. After seeing and spending time with his family, he came in early to catch up on the mountain of paperwork that no doubt would be waiting. Gone five days and had a desk full of papers to sign and read.

And one of the first things he read was Gibbs' case, only to be surprised that Agent Timothy McGee was involved in the case. At first he thought the Lieutenant was a woman he was seeing as the young man didn't seem to have any luck with women as they always came up in a case somehow. Then he found out that she was a coworker.

And that did not sit well with him.

He knew McGee's background, he looked into it once he became Director. He wanted to know everything about the agent that he hoped could take his place once he retired. But apparently he didn't know anything about the younger man's past.

Unfortunately, for that, he had to be punished. Lying and hiding your background when applying for a job—a job like theirs too—was a crime. He didn't want to fire Tim, the man was talented and had such potential to go even further, but he couldn't let him go with a "Don't do it again".

Sighing, he set Tim and the case file aside before moving on.

* * *

"McGee?"

He turned his head to look over at Ziva who was staring down at him. The others were asleep or missing, no doubt doing their business or getting breakfast. He wasn't so much hungry than tired. He wanted to go back to sleep, but he knew that he needed to stay up a bit longer.

Ziva's brown eyes stared down at him and going by her facial features he could tell that she was trying not to show her concern, though she was. It was in her eyes and the way her fingers twitched, as if suppressing the urge to reach out and touch a part of him.

"Hey."

She gave a small smile that always made him happy. She deserved to be happy after the life she had as a Mossad officer and he was always happy to see her smile and laugh. Ziva was his friend and he liked his friends happy.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Could be better. How are you?"

Shaking her head, her smile grew a fraction and a softness entered her eyes. He would summarize that she was amused and a bit happier than the previous moment and for that he was happy. No doubt his worry for her while he laid in a hospital bed amused her. And he was right.

"You are in a hospital bed after being poisoned, and you ask me how I am."

He gave a tired shrug as he could feel his body shutting back down. It needed rest after the assault of formaldehyde his internal system took. Luckily the others were able to assist him to the hospital. The poison had clouded his mind to notice the symptoms of poison and he almost was too late.

"Go to sleep McGee. One of us will be with you as we need to go get ready for work."

Work that he may not return to because of his actions. Sleep sounded good about now. "Okay."

He felt a brush against his hand and to his forehead and knew Ziva left with a kiss to the forehead.

The next time he woke, Ducky was sitting beside him reading a book. "Timothy, how are you feeling?"

"Tired."

"I would think so."

Tim hummed as he tried to sit up. His body had been lying for too long in the same position and he needed to move. He knew his body wasn't ready for standing and walking, but for now he could sit up.

With the help of Ducky, who pressed the button to fold the bed up, he was able to sit comfortable after all the weight settled on his hips. His eyes scanned the room and observed that everything was the way it should, how a room in the hospital was always set up, and that Jethro was gone.

Asking about him, Ducky smiled. "Jethro is at my home, keeping my other dogs company. I will take care of him."

Nodding, he turned his attention back to his own body as he tried to assess it. Other than a little soreness and tiredness, he was overall fine. He shouldn't be too long with recovering, though his strength would take time. His fingers tingled and he itched to pick up something. Looking around, he spotted his cell phone and reached over to pick it up.

A few missed calls and texted and he ignored them for now.

Unfortunately his fingers continued to tingle and slightly shake, so he let his phone fall into his lap before looking back at Ducky.

The older man watched him and Tim just stared back before saying, "I'm fine Ducky. I'll recover."

"Tim, what were you doing?"

Frowning, he answered, "Assessing my body of course. I had to see how my body was doing after being poisoned. Aside from soreness, tiredness, and slight shaking of the fingers, I'm fine."

"Timothy…" Ducky moved closer to his bed and reached out to lay a hand on top of his. The dryness of his hand was a contrast that he wasn't prepared for and he looked down at the older hand. Age lost blood vessels that delivered nutrient that the skin needed, along with collagen, fat, and the natural oil that the glands in the skin secreted. But even knowing that, he hadn't been prepared for the evidence that Ducky was in fact that much older.

"Timothy."

"Yes?"

"Do you remember the last few days?"

"Of course I remember." He remembered everything.

"So you remember what brought you here?"

"I was poisoned."

"And…"

"And I wrote on myself like Lieutenant Clea Thorson which made my teammates worried and brought me to you. You who checked me over."

Ducky nodded. "Yes. Can you tell me why you wrote on yourself?"

"Aside from the fact that the poison clouded my better judgment, it also helped me solve Clea's puzzle. It really is a brilliant piece of work. I'd say it was worth one to two billion."

"It sold for two."

"Hmm." He wasn't surprised. The market for the next big thing in green energy was huge and for Clea to find a way to energize the planet with the very things that they were trying to get rid of was revolutionary.

"Timothy."

"I'm suddenly tired Ducky. Do you think we can talk at another time?"

Ducky stared at him at his request, clearly surprised, before he nodded and pat his hand. "Yes. Of course. You get some rest lad and get better."

Nodding, he rest his head back on the pillow and allowed Ducky to lower the upper part of the bed back down but not all the way down. He didn't want to lay down flat any longer.

Ducky stared at the young man before him and was worried. Timothy had seemed gone and replaced by some robotic man. It wasn't the young man that he knew and it worried him. After watching him a little longer and making sure he was tucked in, he stepped outside the room and was greeted by the team that too looked worried. According to the doctors Timothy hadn't woken since the morning when he talked to Ziva and now it was the end of the day and everyone had come for a visit.

But seeing Tim asleep, Ducky had convinced them all to wait outside while he talked to Tim first to assess his state. And it was worrisome.

"I'm assuming you all heard that." Getting nods from them all, he sighed.

"What's wrong with him?" Abby asked. "That wasn't the Timmy we know."

"He was like a robot."

It showed how shaken and worried Tony was when a movie reference didn't follow that. Shaking his head, he was about to try and answer when a voice from behind them answered.

"He's shut down."

Turning, they all faced a man that could easily be identified as Tim's father. Admiral McGee stood a few feet away at six foot three with a hard sculpted face and green eyes that were a shade off from Tim's. Ducky was curious as to what his mother looked like and what he took from her. His father's eyes weren't wide like Tim's and Tim's face was too soft and pale compared to his father's. The man stood in jeans and a slightly wrinkled shirt that made it obvious that he had come once getting off the plane.

"Admiral McGee," Jethro greeted stepping forward and with a handshake.

"You must be Gibbs. Thank you for calling me." Jethro nodded back.

"While Timothy sleeps, why don't we go to the cafeteria for something to eat and talk," Ducky suggested and after a slight hesitation from them all, they all headed to the cafeteria.

After getting something to eat and taking a table away from others, and then introductions were made, Ducky started. "Earlier, Victor, you said that he shut down. What do you mean by that?"

Victor took a drink of his coffee before answering. "Tim has always functioned differently from others. And it was only when he got into computers that I realized that he works almost like one. You change and personalize your computer like you want so it fits your needs and that's how Tim is. He's…well…he's taught himself to work a sort of way." Victor looked away at that. "I never understood how my son's mind works, and I know I never will, but I know that he has to go by a schedule, if not he can be thrown off and get a bit…chaotic. Over the years it's lessened but I know he still needs to work by a schedule, what that schedule is with the hours you all work I don't know, but he has one. I guarantee it.

"But…like any computer, every now and again you have to shut it down. Or, a virus will get on your computer that you can't get rid of, so sometimes you just have to set your computer up from the very beginning and then get rid of it. Either way, it's how Tim is. One time he got real sick when he was younger and it was like dealing with an entirely different person afterwards. So different I almost thought my child had multiple personalities."

They all sat there stunned, trying to absorb that piece of information.

"So, he's rebooting?" Abby asked with her head tilted.

Victor gave her a small smile. "To simply put it, yes," he nodded. "Can I ask what happened to my son? You told me that he was poisoned, but why? Last time I talked to him, he was supposed to be on vacation. Not working a case."

Gibbs stared at Tim's father and didn't really know how to feel. Tim was like one of his own, no doubt about it. He watched the young man grow into the agent he was and couldn't be prouder, especially when he knew that Tim was headed up there. Where Tony was headed to leading his own team, Tim was headed towards Leon's desk.

But as he sat there, listening to Admiral Victor McGee talk about his son, he wondered if there was even any room for him or even a right to feel the way he did. So he pushed it aside and went to answer Tim's father.

"He knew the victim of our case and so we needed him to come in. Our victim had a…sort of puzzle on her body and Tim saw that. He wanted to solve it and we needed it solved because it was the key to our case. Unfortunately the killer knew he was solving it and hadn't liked the way he sort of brushed off her help, so she poisoned him."

Victor frowned. "How did he know the victim?"

"From Gen-1."

"…Oh."

He watched as Victor went back to his coffee and food and couldn't tell if the man was ashamed for condoning his son to work in Navy research at a young age or what. Deciding to finally get some answers on Tim's past, he asked, "How did Tim get to working at Gen-1 when he was sixteen?"

The other man sighed before looking at their group and sighing again. "For the record, I was against Tim hiding his past, but he was adamant about it and once Tim gets an idea in his head there is no dissuading him." Yeah, that they all knew. "When I was still in the Navy, wherever I was stationed had the occasional Family Day where you can bring your family to see where you work and have lunch and all that. We did it every time. Tim was genuinely interested in seeing where I worked. He was always curious and wanted to know things.

"Well, when he was eight, we had a Family Day and of course I brought my wife and son. Things were going alright, I was giving them the tour of my new work place when one of my superiors came up and started chatting with us. Next thing I know, I look down to introduce my son and he's gone. We went frantic and almost thought we'd have to send out an alert to the building, but we found him."

"Where was he?" Ziva asked and Gibbs along with the others was highly curious.

"He was in the research room," he said. "There were some workers there that weren't participating in the day but also weren't working. They were just taking a fun day for themselves where they challenged each other. Apparently one of them put up a problem that the others couldn't figure out, saw my son peaking around the corner, and joked about him showing the others how it's done. And he did."

He chuckled and shook his head. "My eight year old son solved a problem that some engineers and Navy researchers couldn't. They kept giving him problems and he was on his fourth by the time my wife and I found him. They told us what happened and we decided to get him tested. We knew he was smart, he read and did other things kids his age didn't do, but we didn't see how smart until then. Turns out Tim's a genius."

"What's his IQ?" Abby asked, leaning forward in eagerness. "I've tried asking and he wouldn't answer. Then I tried testing him throughout a period of weeks, slipping in questions every now and again, but he caught on right away."

"…" He looked at all of them before answering. "178."

"Holy shit."

"Language Anthony," Ducky admonished.

"Sorry, but…come on! Even I know that's high. I mean, Einstein was 160 and Probie's… Wow."

Gibbs himself was surprised as well. They all knew he was smart, but…178? Holy shit. He turned his attention back to Victor and got them moving along. "What happened?"

He shrugged. "We asked Tim what he wanted to do. The teachers had been bugging us about moving him up a grade for a while and we did at first, but when they asked to move him up again we declined because he was only seven at the time. But after the testing, we asked what he wanted to do. If he wanted to just stay in his grade and maybe get extra tutoring or move up."

"He moved up," Gibbs stated and Victor shook his head.

"He wanted both. Tim skipped a few grades while he also got extra tutoring in subjects he wanted. Mostly science and math. Skipped high school all together and straight into college on a scholarship by 12, graduated by 16 and had tons of offers from companies. He took a liking to Gen-1, signed a five year contract, and while he worked there, he worked to get other degrees. Whatever degrees he told you he has," he shook his head, "he has more. And most are doctorates. Believe me.

"Thing is, he always wanted to be in the Navy, to follow in my family's footsteps, but right off he knew it wasn't for him. Hell, so did I. But I knew not being able to join hurt him a little and made him feel ashamed—even with me assuring him he shouldn't be ashamed. So I told him about NCIS and he instantly wanted it. He wanted to become an agent. Once his five year contract was over, he left Gen-1 and applied to become an agent. He didn't care if he was in the middle of a project. He just left it to the company for them to finish and left, right for NCIS, and hasn't looked back."

They all sat in silence, absorbing what they learned about their teammate and friend. It was hard to find that they really didn't know the man—agent, teammate, son, friend—like they thought. It worried them.

"Why'd he hide his background?"

They turned to see that Vance had showed up to join their little group and Gibbs mentally sighed for the discussion he knew would happen soon. No way to avoid Vance any longer.

"Admiral McGee," he greeted as he stepped over to shake his hand, "I'm Director Vance."

"Yes, I know."

"Mind if I join?" It was rhetorical.

Victor shook his head. "Go ahead."

Vance pulled up a chair to sit beside Tim's father. "How is he?" he asked first.

"…Recovering."

"That's good," he said with a nod and a pause before he continued. "About his background…"

Gibbs watched as Tim's father tried to gather his thoughts before speaking. "When my son gets an idea in his head, there's no stopping it unless proven wrong. When applying to become an agent, he thought that his genius status and the work he did would make people question him. So, he hid it. He erased the information on him from Gen-1 and then tweaked all his information for school. Where he graduated college at 16, he changed it to 21."

"Why would they question him?" Ziva asked with a frown.

He had a pretty good idea on what Tim had been thinking when he applied. "He thought they wouldn't take him seriously or that they would but they wouldn't take him on as a field agent. More like someone to come to for information and problem solving…keep him as a human computer." At Victor's slow nod, he let out a sigh while the others quickly objected to that sort of thinking.

He understood it though. No one would want to put Tim and his mind in harm's way, so he could understand it. Hell, he did it sometimes but it wasn't about protecting his mind. It was about _him._ Most of the time whenever Tim did stay behind, it was because he really needed him at work while he, Ziva, and Tony went out in the field so that he could work from that end. But there were moments… There were moments when he made Tim stay behind because he didn't want him there.

Not because he didn't think Tim couldn't handle himself and have their six, because he knew Tim could and would. But because he just…didn't want him possibly getting hurt. He felt that way about Tony and Ziva too, but again with Tim, he struck a part of him that used to only belong to Kelly. And like Kelly, he didn't want him in danger. Tim was just so young and innocent, even after all the years at NCIS and the things they saw.

The kid came into work with a big seussical cup for God's sake. That didn't include the comic books and the robot teddy bear—Pooh 2.0—he had brought in. He couldn't help but feel his lips twitch as he thought about how he made it talk.

_"Gear up DiNozzo. Dead body in Quantico."_

_"That sounds awfully familiar," Ziva said with a chuckle._

_"Ya think David? DiNozzo, bag and tag. David, witness statement. McGee, did I ever tell you how brilliant you are?"_

_His smile so young and fun. "Oh Beary."_

_"I love you McGee." And realizing Gibbs was standing right behind him... "Sorry, Boss."_

_He stared at Tim before instructing, "Talk to me." And almost laughed as Tim reached for the keyboard to talk through Beary but instead clarified, "You McGee."_

Ducky watched Jethro softly smile behind his hand as he thought of something and he was sure it involved Timothy. He always knew that Jethro thought of all his agents and Abby as his kids, there wasn't a doubt in his mind or anyone else's. However, Tim was a little different. Abby was the daughter that he could dote on, Ziva was the middle child that was overall fine on her own and knew Jethro loved her but every now and again needed it showed, Tony was the oldest, following in Jethro's footsteps and took it upon himself to pick on the others, and then there was Tim. Tim was the youngest and different. He was the "geeky" child, the baby of the family, looking up to both the father and older brother.

And it was hard sometimes for Jethro to show he cared because they were different from each other. But Ducky knew there were similarities; like stubbornness and loyalty and honor and caring and love of a family. No, Jethro loved Tim like his own, like he did the others. He just had trouble showing it sometimes.

He had seen the way Jethro had sort of closed off once Victor started talking about Tim's past and he was worried. Like Tim, once Jethro got an idea in his head, there was no changing it. And if Jethro suddenly started thinking that Tim didn't need him, that he had Victor, then Ducky would have to do something. Yes Tim had the Admiral, but anyone with eyes could see that Tim looked up to Gibbs and also saw him as a father. If Jethro suddenly turned away from that…

No, he had to make sure Jethro didn't close off from Tim.

Gibbs looked up at the slight nudge and saw the way Ducky was watching him and turned back to Tim's dad. He didn't need Ducky assessing him.

"So is my son fired?" Victor asked straight out.

Vance leaned back in his seat, chewing on his toothpick, before shaking his head. "No. He's not fired." Victor raised an eyebrow at that. "But, he'll have three weeks probation in which he'll have to see a psychiatrist."

"Why?" his father demanded.

"Admiral McGee, I was away while this case happened, but I've watched some of the security tapes of his time working and from what I saw, he'll need these weeks off to recover but also to get his head back in gear. Psychiatrist can help with that." Vance shook his head and they were all silently thinking of the way Tim had been all over the place and grudgingly agreed with him. "After the way I saw him, and how he was before Agent Gibbs brought him here, I can't let him come back without the okay from the psychiatrist."

Victor seemed to think it over before nodding. "Alright. Now, I'm going to go see my son."

Gibbs reached for his card and handed it out to Victor. "Call us if there's any change with Tim. Please."

Ducky looked between the two and he watched with relief and glee as a father to father understanding was established and accepted.

* * *

He easily slipped into the apartment and took a look around. It was so cliché it was pathetic. Computer set up with computer games, little action dolls of _Star Wars_, there was even a lightsaber in the corner. And as he walked more around the apartment, he found that his reading material was comic books.

Shaking his head, he made his way into the bedroom where the young man was sleeping. He sneered at the sheets, the man needed to grow up. But unfortunately for him he wouldn't be able to.

Easily and quietly, he pulled out his silencer and nudged the sleeping man. "Hey."

"Don't want to go to school," he mumbled and turned over.

Rolling his eyes, he nudged him again. "Wake up," he snapped and when he only partially woke up, he gave him a slap.

He snapped awake and stared up at him confused and frightened. "W-What do you want? Take anything you want."

"Unfortunately that's not why I'm here." Those frightened eyes fell to his silencer, his breathing becoming so fast he thought under other circumstances he would have reached for an inhaler. Tapping his face with the silencer, he asked, "Do I look familiar?"

"N-No."

"Really?"

"N-… Wait. Yeah, I-I, uh, I re-remember you."

He smirked as his breathing became faster as he remembered him. Yeah, the fear was good, he loved it, and as much as he would love to bask in it, he had to get this moving along. This kill wasn't all that important, just a piece of the grand scheme of things.

"Well, luckily for you, Marvin, I won't make this painful. Just quick and easy." And aiming his pistol to his chest, he put three in his heart and watched the man's eyes dim to nothing.

Oh he couldn't wait to see that happen to Timothy McGee. But unlike Marvin, he wouldn't go quick and easy. He would go slowly and painfully.

He was so excited.

* * *

**A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! They're appreciated. **

**By the way, have a new poll up.**


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

He stared down at the kill before turning and exiting the room, out of the apartment and out of the building. It was just way too easy and the only thrill he got out of it was knowing that it was all for Timothy McGee. If it hadn't been for that, he sure as hell wouldn't be killing these way too easy targets.

Thankfully he was getting along on the plan. Now, he just had to get to the meeting.

He drove to the restaurant and walked in, giving the hostess a charming smile that she returned. She really was a looker. Maybe he could indulge in some pleasure afterwards, but first the meeting.

"If you need anything else, let me know," she—Barbara—said with a mischievous smile. "Anything."

"I will," he grinned back. And he sure will. Watching her walk away with a little swing to her hips, he finally went back to the menu as he waited for the other person to show. Thankfully it wasn't long before Barbara came back with his guest. "Here you are."

"Thank you Barbara," he winked before standing and turning to his guest. "Al Wood," he greeted with a smile and handshake.

"Pleased to meet you Mr. Wood. Bob Jones."

Uh huh. "Shall we sit?"

They each sat and ordered their drinks and food before getting to business. "So you require my services."

"Yes. I'm an…entrepreneur if you will and someone is digging around my business."

"And you would like them gone," he stated straight forward. Something that hasn't changed. He knew "Bob" from years ago and he hadn't changed a bit. He hadn't changed that much either for that matter but a few extra muscular pounds, dyed hair, colored contacts, and fake glasses, he wasn't surprised "Bob" didn't recognize him. That and "Bob" had been above obnoxious and pompous back then to recognize him and definitely not now. And that was fine for him.

"Al" nodded, smiling to the waitress when she brought their food. Once they were alone again "Bob" continued. "Not that I'm one to tolerate competition, but why not higher someone else?"

"This isn't just some nerd. He's an agent."

"…For who?"

"NCIS."

"Bob" raised an eyebrow at that, no doubt briefly wondering about what he was doing to gain their attention. But that wasn't part of his job, so he moved on and asked, "Name?"

"Agent Timothy McGee. I've found evidence on my computer that someone was snooping around my system, and eventually I found out who it was. I don't know if he's just hacking to see if he can or if he's really searching for something for either himself or NCIS, but I don't care. Either way is bad for business and I want him gone."

He pulled the folder he had out of his briefcase and handed it over to "Bob". It was a file full of information on Tim, surveillance photos and information on job, place he lived, even on the fact that he had a dog.

"I see you've already done some surveillance," he observed.

"Al" shrugged. "I needed to know everything I can on this guy before deciding to come to you." And it had been way too easy to find him. It was a wonder how the law enforcement hadn't found him yet.

"Bob" nodded as he went through the file, flipping through the information and photos. "Of course I'm going to need to do my own surveillance, but I'll take the job. Now," he said, closing the file and setting it aside, "for the cost."

He smiled as he was again completed a step.

* * *

Tony looked on to his partner as he napped. It had been a few days and Tim was being released in a few hours from the hospital. He hadn't been able to talk to Tim much since everything happened. One minute he was dragging Tim down to see Ducky, and the next Tim was in the hospital and he couldn't talk to him.

It wasn't that he wasn't allowed, but he was gone with work, and when he was visiting, everyone else was there or Gibbs and Victor was—two dads looking over their son. That was something he didn't want to intrude on. And then on the off chance he could get alone with Tim, he was asleep.

Tim's body was recovered, though there were times he got tired in the middle of the day, but mentally… His "rebooting" phase was over; he wasn't emotionless when he talked to them. But he also wasn't the Tim they knew. He was a little all over the place. One minute he'd be in the conversation the whole gang was having and the next he'd start talking about something scientific and something so complex Abby sometimes couldn't follow. There have been occasions when he came to visit and found Tim writing in some notebook that Gibbs had bought him after an incident. He didn't know what the incident was, but Tony could tell Victor was thankful for Gibbs supplying a notebook.

Tony had taken a peak at it once while Tim slept and saw it was filled with math and science. And Tony couldn't help but remember Lieutenant Thorson's space.

It made him wonder if this was what Tim was really like or if this was a combination of the case and what happened. He worried about him and silently prayed to have his partner back.

"That's not a good look for you."

Blinking out of his thoughts, he looked down to find Tim waking up. "What isn't?"

"That face."

"I'm not making a face."

"Sure, DiNozzo," he chuckled while sitting up. "What's up?"

Pasting on his signature grin, he gave a small bow. "I am to be your escort for today, my friend."

He looked to Tim and felt his smile slipping at the way he was staring at him. It almost rivaled with Gibbs' observing stare and Tony suddenly felt the need to look away before Tim found anything.

"What's wrong, Tony?"

"Nothing's wrong," he grinned, or tried to.

"You haven't called me Probie or any McNickname once since I've woken. You call me something of that affect an average of 30 times a month, that's once a day. The fact that you haven't said it once in the four days I've been here is worrisome and calls for questioning."

Tony stared.

The Tim he knew would have just said "You do it all the time, why haven't you called me anything yet?" It just continued to worry him as the days went and the more this Tim talked. And he didn't like thinking about it, but he even missed the faces Tim would pull sometimes. Sometimes it was just the way he raised his eyebrows, or the way he looked at him exasperated when Tony talked way too much, or even the little smirk he had when he knew whatever Tony said was about to get him a headslap from Gibbs or threat from Ziva. Or even just the smile he had when he was happy.

Sure this Tim smiled but it usually never reached his eyes and made them bright. Sure this Tim mouthed the words to whatever he was writing in his notebook, but it wasn't the same as if he was typing on his computer, trying to break his record.

And he wouldn't admit it, but he missed Tim at work. He missed coming into work late, Tim at his desk already at work or surfing the internet. He missed being able to look over at his desk and see him and just know that he was there to talk to, to banter with, or even there to prank on. Tim was the one constant in his life and him not being there both physically and sometimes mentally, it threw him off kilter. He didn't like being off kilter.

The fact that he even missed him that much pushed him even more off kilter. It was an unpleasant feeling, not understanding something and not knowing what was going to happen. He just hoped that in the three weeks Tim was away that things would get better and he would get his Probie back.

"Tony."

"Sorry. Thought I'd save it for when you get back to work, I guess."

"Oh…" His head tilted as he thought and it brought an involuntary smile to Tony's lips as he watched. That was something that didn't change. Tim's curiosity and some of his little quirks. Like the fact that he still continued to huff on his tea or coffee. Nurses were against it but they caved eventually. And when Tony first heard that huff, his head had snapped up and he had beamed in relief that Tim was still somewhat the same. For now.

"So, you excited to get out of here?" he asked.

"Yes," Tim nodded with a small smile of his own. "Could you step outside? I'd like to change."

"Sure man."

Tim watched Tony step out of the room before turning to his clothes. Tony had been acting a bit strange the past few days he was in the hospital and he had immediately picked up on the difference. Tony did in fact call him Probie or a McNickname an average of 30 times a month. So given that he hadn't called him any of that once Tim had picked up on it.

He knew his hospitalization and the…discovery of his past had shocked his teammates. They had believed he had the perfect childhood with a loving mother, father, and little sister, was smart on the geeky side with computer games and comic books. And that was the truth for the most part. Except…he wasn't just smart but a genius. He saw things differently. And he definitely had his quirks as average people would call it.

Routine was something that he needed. His mind was chaotic without it. With a routine, he was able to focus his mind on what it needed to be focused on. Doctors tried to say he was ADD, but that was ridiculous. He just had a lot of information and things going on in his head that without order and routine, he could get distracted by a new idea or something new.

Like the incident that happened only two days ago. He had been talking to his dad when the older man suddenly needed to go to the bathroom and mentioned he would get lunch while he was at it. When he had been gone, his nurse had come in and as he watched her check him over, he had had a sudden idea. He asked for a pen, she gave him one before she left, and he had been left with a dilemma. He didn't have paper. And Tim needed paper to write it down. So, he had taken the bed sheet, spread it out in the floor, slowly slipped down to the floor in front of it, and started working out the math of the problem.

Not only did his dad return, but he had returned with Gibbs. They had not been happy that he was out of bed. Nurse heard the commotion, came in and saw what he was doing. She hadn't been happy—it was her own fault for leaving him with a pen and no paper—and tried to take his work.

Suffice to say that Nurse Jacky was happy he was leaving. And Gibbs had gone out and brought back a notebook for him which he was grateful for.

No, he just needed to get his mind back to focusing on what he needed it to and he would be fine. He would be back to the Tim that his family and friends knew.

Tim saw. It wasn't hard to see, and he was a genius and investigator after all. Tim knew that this version of himself wasn't what they were comfortable with, they didn't know how to approach him. And he tried, but being in a hospital didn't give him order so it left him out of sorts and he did not like that.

He needed order to control the chaos in his head. And in doing so give his family the Tim they wanted.

* * *

Jimmy pulled up to Jethro's house and Ducky couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Victor and Jethro finish putting up the fence. Jethro didn't make friends but Ducky had watched him make a friend in Victor; Timothy's care the obvious factor.

The two took turns watching over Timothy in the hospital, watching him together at other points. Jethro had even allowed Victor to crash at his home and Ducky nearly had the shock of his life when Jethro asked the team to come over and help him and Victor move a few things around so Timothy could recover at his house instead of alone in his small apartment. Only to find that Jethro had put away Kelly's things and they were remaking her room into a guest room.

_"Jethro…"_

_"What Duck?"_

"…_Are you sure?"_

_Jethro nodded as his hand absently traced the last box of Kelly's belongings. "Kelly would have wanted Tim to use her room, insisted really," he chuckled. "And besides, if anything, I'm just changing this room from one kid's room to another."_

Granted these kids were grown adults, but Ducky understood what it was. Ducky knew that Timothy's situation had opened his eyes a bit and he wasn't only trying to make up for it and show Timothy that he did in fact love him like his own, like he did the others, but he was also showing Victor that Timothy was indeed in good hands.

He had worried briefly for the others, wondered if they felt any resentment to Timothy for having all of Gibbs' attention, especially Abby.

_He walked into the lab and found Tony, Abby, and Ziva talking and he heard they were talking about what Gibbs had asked them. Advice on a television and what food to have in the house in case he was allergic or didn't like something. And who better to go to than his friends._

_"Hello all."_

_"Hey Ducky," they smiled._

_"What's up Doc?" Tony asked with a grin._

_"Well I just wanted to stop by and talk to you all for a bit."_

_They all frowned in confusion before Ziva spoke. "About?"_

_"How you are feeling. About Timothy and Jethro."_

_They looked at each other confused before Abby figured it out. "Oh, you're worried we're upset that Gibbs' focus is on Timmy and not us."_

_"Precisely."_

_"Oh, no, we're fine," Abby said, as if was just that simple. "We sorta already talked about it."_

_"Yes," Ziva said with a small smile. "I will admit that Gibbs' sudden behavior confused me, but after talking we realized what was happening."_

_"And we like it," Abby grinned. "Timmy deserves a little attention and deserves to know that Gibbs loves him just like he loves us."_

_Ducky looked to Tony who shrugged. "McGenius is who's important right now."_

Turned out he didn't need to talk to them. He was just glad that they didn't feel left out or left behind by Jethro's sudden attention on Timothy.

Victor and Jethro looked over after they finished the fence and Ducky shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Well, come along Jethro, let's go see where you're going to be staying for a while." He let the German shepherd hop out of the backseat and automatically stick his nose to the ground to explore. "Mr. Palmer, help me get his things would you?"

"Of course Doctor," Jimmy replied as he popped the trunk and they grabbed his things.

"Hey Ducky," Jethro greeted, reaching down to pet his namesake. "Hey mutt."

Victor shook his head as they all started making their way inside. "I still can't believe that dog is named Jethro."

"Abby," they all said in answer, laughing.

They stepped inside and Ducky hid his smile when he saw that Jethro had gone all out to make sure Tim was comfortable during his stay. He got a new television with the help of Tony and Abby. And as Jimmy and Victor took Jethro's things up to the new bedroom, Ducky went to the kitchen to grab a drink, only to open the refrigerator to see it fully stocked. Ziva's doing.

"Stocked for an army, Jethro?" he asked with smile that he didn't even bother to hide this time.

"Tim will be staying here for the next two and a half weeks during his probation, and kids need variety. I wanted him to have options on what to eat while he's here."

Ducky looked to his long time friend and wondered if the man knew what he had just said. He chose not to bring it to his attention if he didn't and moved on. "The television?"

"If he wants to watch tv obviously."

"Of course," he said smiling as he just decided to grab a glass and have some water. "When is Timothy arriving?"

"Shouldn't be long actually," Jethro said as he looked at his watch. "Tony is with him and is gonna bring him over and then the girls should be over soon after that. I'm gonna fire up the grill."

He hid his smile behind his glass as he drank and slightly shook his head. If this didn't show what Jethro would do for his family, for his kids, then he didn't know what would.

Gibbs decided to ignore the doctor and went about seasoning the steaks. He and Victor finished putting up the fence for his namesake to run around. After Tim's poisoning he wanted him close to reassure himself that his son was alright, not to mention that he just didn't feel right having him alone recovering while also being on probation and seeing a psychiatrist. The kid may be a genius and the most patient in their team, but there was no way he was going to be able to handle all of that without having a breakdown or two. Especially with the whole routine thing.

Victor said Tim needed a routine to help him, and he had a feeling that their job was in fact in that routine. They may not have set hours, but coming to work seemed like something on his list of things he needs to do. It explained why he didn't go on vacations. The one he had been on when Thorson's case came was his first in years. And he had only been on it because he and Vance demanded.

Gibbs was a bit nervous, he wasn't above admitting that. At least to himself. Tim crashing at his place to recover was supposed to be a surprise, he wanted to show Tim that he did care and trust him outside of work. He hoped it worked.

* * *

Tim frowned in confusion as they headed in the wrong direction. "Tony…"

"Don't worry Probie, I know where I'm going."

He couldn't help but smile a bit at that, feeling relief. Though he acted annoyed and hated all the nicknames, he actually found relief in it. Like when the team had been broken up. His routine had uprooted in the blink of an eye and it had taken close to a week before he adjusted though never really recovered. There had been moments down in cybercrimes that he zoned out completely and worked on something that the others didn't know about.

But one video call with Tony on the ship and him calling him Probie, he had felt a calm wash over him for a while. Or even when he entered MTAC and Gibbs was talking to Tony and he had called him McGoo.

Most saw it as picking and degrading to his status as an agent, but it wasn't that at all. It was what they did as friends, it was an endearment. Now if anyone else did it then it would be degrading and from what he knew of Tony, he wouldn't take too well to that. The only person Tim knew who could get away with calling him Probie or Elford was Gibbs.

Speaking of… "This is the way to Gibbs' place."

"Yep."

"Why?" he asked. He'd only been the man's house once and that had been for a case where he had to use the oldest computer he had seen. But it had been a bit of fun he had to admit. It had challenged him to get that thing to work after not being used since who knew when. And the printer…

"What are you smiling about McGee?" Tony's question broke through his thoughts.

"About the one time I was at Gibbs' house."

Tony glanced at him surprised before looking back to the rode. "Once."

"Yes. It was when Agent Fornell shutdown NCIS to investigate us."

"…That was years ago Probie. Hell, Jenny was still alive."

Tim looked out the window at that. "Yes."

Tony again glanced at Tim before looking to the rode and driving. Now he was really excited to get to Boss' house and let the man tell Tim what was happening. The thought that Tim had only been to Boss' house once, and to work on a case, was mindboggling. He himself had been there tons of times for both a case and to just go there and talk. Ziva and Abby too. And in eight years, Tim had been there once.

Hopefully this would change that.

It wasn't long before they pulled into the neighborhood and up to the house. Tony shut off the car and went to go grab the bag of Tim's stuff that he had packed earlier that day. Tim frowned at the bag but Tony just shook his head.

"Come on," he said and they made their way up to the porch and through the front door.

"Dad?"

"Hey Tim," Victor grinned and greeted Tim with a hug. "How ya feeling?"

"I'm okay," he said with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion and Tony couldn't help but smile a bit. "Uh…"

"Don't worry Tim," Victor said with a clap to his back.

"Great," Gibbs said as he walked in, "you're in. I'll show you your room."

"My…room?"

Gibbs gave his usually half smirk half smile before taking the suitcase from Tony and jerking to the stairs. "Come on."

Tim looked at the others before walking over to Gibbs and walking with him. "Boss?"

"You're going to be staying with me during your probation."

He frowned in confusion but continued walking until they came to a room that was nice. He looked around until he saw the picture frame by the bed. Tim walked over to pick it up and saw that it was a picture the team took together at Ducky's thanksgiving dinner. "Boss?"

Gibbs watched Tim stare at the photo Abby had added to the room after setting Tim's bag down. He watched him and realized he should have done this years ago. His agents came over to his house all the time and he usually gave them the couch, but they were family. They deserved more. Trust it to be Tim that made him realize.

"Thought you could stay here during your probation."

Those big green eyes stared in surprise before he shook his head. "No, no, I couldn't. I'll be fine at home."

He shrugged. "Plenty of room, food, tv, yard for the mutt, neighborhood for a walk, even a park about half a mile away."

The younger man just blinked at him with his head tilted, a sure sign that his mind was running, calculating. It wasn't long before he asked, "You sure?"

Gibbs smirked before patting Tim's shoulder. "Yeah. Come on, I gotta go put on the steaks, Ziva and Abby will be here soon. Besides, you may want to get to the remote before DiNozzo does. He's been eyeing it since they hooked it up."

And at Tim's smile, he knew Tim was agreeing to stay.

* * *

Dinner was pleasant before they went out back for some drinks and relaxing. Abby kept asking questions about his childhood while Tony kept throwing out math problems that he put in one of those Texas Instruments calculators to see if it was right while Tim did it in his head.

Gibbs shook his head as he watched Tim answer another right question. It had started off with simple math which they all kept up with but then when decimals came up, only Abby and Ducky were able to keep up with Tim. Once the powers and square roots came, they watched as Tim kept going even when the number was now to the negative something power.

"That's awesome McCalculator," Tony grinned and Gibbs watched his youngest agent blush a bit with a bashful smile and shrug.

"It's just my mind."

Victor smiled proudly before he took a drink of his beer and said, "You should show them the crossword trick someday."

"What trick?" Abby, Ziva, Palmer, and Tony asked together while Ducky and Gibbs just looked at each other with a smile. They couldn't really remember the last time everyone had been like this. It was probably at Ducky's thanksgiving.

"Dad."

"Come on, Probie, tell us," Tony begged, practically bouncing in his seat.

Gibbs watched his senior field agent. Tony too liked routine, he didn't like change. And the fact that they were learning about a whole new Tim, someone who was more of a constant than he himself was, had rattled him. He saw it though Tony hid it. He was going to have to watch him to make sure he handled this change well.

"He can look at the crossword puzzle once and memorize the pattern, and then solve it with someone reading the clues."

Ducky practically glowed at the idea and Gibbs didn't need to be a genius to know that the doctor was going to test that pretty soon. And glancing at Tim, he saw that Tim saw it too. When Tim looked his way Gibbs gave a wink before drinking some more of his beer.

* * *

**A/N: ****Got the crossword idea from** _Blink of an Eye _******by Ted Dekker. I LOVE that book. If anyone thought to do a McGiva AU fic, it should definitely be based off of that book. ;)**

**PLEASE REVIEW! They're appreciated.**

**I swear these last two episodes of season 9 are going to kill me. Seriously. With all the suspense, Sean Murray's tweet, and the crazy question that someone posted on tumblr... "What if they brought in Dornegat to replace McGee as the Probie?"**

**I'm freaking out a little bit...ALOT actually! I swear if they kill off McGee... **

**Just no. They better not.**


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Tim let Jethro out before heading out to his car and driving off to his appointment. It was set to rain later, but with the free time he's had and all the wood Gibbs had in his basement, he was able to build a doghouse for Jethro. It had been five days since he got out of the hospital, three days since his dad headed back home. So he had Gibbs' house to himself during the day and it was unsettling to say the least.

In all the years he'd been on Gibbs' team, he had only been to his house once and that was to work on a case. That was it. And now, he was suddenly sleeping in a spare bedroom that he had a feeling used to belong to either his daughter or was his and Shannon's old bedroom. It felt uncomfortable at times.

Not to mention all the free time he had on his hands. He didn't take vacations, it messed with his schedule, and now he was on three weeks probation. So he had tons of free time, already had one doctor appointment that was going to be followed by more, and it all wasn't helping him get his mind back in order. And it didn't help with the way everyone acted around him.

They were all still walking on eggshells around him when they visit, not knowing how to deal with him. Well, Ducky and Gibbs didn't so much, but the others did. Ziva watched him as if just waiting for him to explode at any minute or relapse like some addict and start writing on himself. Abby talked a mile a minute before going quiet and just watching him like Ziva. Or she was afraid to give him a hug like he suddenly started showing he didn't want one. Tony, again like Abby and Ziva, watched him. But Tony at least tried. While he watched he'd keep up with a conversation or easily slip into banter—argument from Tim's point of view—called him Probie and other McNicknames, and even came with movies and movie trivia, especially when he was in the hospital.

Shocked Tony too when he didn't hide his own movie trivia, some things that even Tony didn't know and doubted him about until he went home to look it up.

Those nights were the best.

Tim pulled into the parking lot and made his way into the building. Vance wanted to know if he was stable to go back to work, and because of that he had to see the psychiatrist every few days.

Thankfully though, he already knew the psychiatrist.

"You can go right in Agent McGee," Miranda said with a warm smile as he entered her office.

"Thank you," he replied with a nod and entered the doctor's office and headed for the couch.

"Hello Tim."

"Hello Doctor Meyers."

Doctor Meyers was an older woman but when he first met her she had been younger. He had known her since he was a child and had seen a psychiatrist. He went to her when he tried to deal with his fear of heights among other things. He trusted her, more than any other person. Thankfully Gibbs had convinced Vance to allow him to see her when his dad brought her up. And though she had to answer to NCIS when it came to him now, he still trusted her more than he would the psychiatrists that specifically worked for them.

"How are you today Tim?" she asked as she walked from behind her desk to the chair across from the couch where he sat.

"I'm fine."

"Just fine?"

He shrugged for his answer.

"Tell me how you've been since I saw you a few days ago. What did you do?"

Again he shrugged but spoke as he knew she wouldn't accept just a shrug for an answer. "Just spent time with Jethro, I think he's getting tired of me by now. Built a doghouse for him, Gibbs helped me finish the roof and paint it."

He paused there as he remembered that. He remembered working on the roof when Gibbs got back and came down to find him working. Tim had still been worried about being in his space and using his wood, even though he had called Gibbs to ask, so he was surprised when the older man asked if he wanted help finishing it and more surprised than anything, he nodded. They had finished the doghouse together and got it outside for Jethro to explore. Afterwards Gibbs made steaks for dinner and they sat watching TV while they ate.

"And how was that?"

"It was…" It had been different to say the least. He wasn't alone with Gibbs often—ever—outside of work. So it had been… "It was fun."

"How so?"

At that he frowned. Though he never spent time with Gibbs outside of work, he did do it a lot during work. They partnered a lot, especially during the times Tony and Ziva were assigned a job out of the state or even out of the country. Working beside him taught him a lot but it also allowed them to work in sync. And in doing so, when they worked on the roof of the doghouse, they barely had to speak to one another as they worked. Tim knew when and which tool Gibbs would need, and vice versa. The extent of their communication was please and thank you. Even when they ate dinner and watched TV, they barely spoke but a few words.

And it had all been nice.

Reminded him of when he worked with his dad to fix up the camero that his dad ended up giving him for his sixteenth birthday.

"Reminded me of working with my dad."

"Like when you worked on the camero?" she asked which he nodded back to. "Tell me about Gibbs," she said softly. "Last time we ran out of time, and last I saw you, you were on your way to becoming an agent."

Giving a small smile back at the smile she gave him, he said, "What do you want to know?"

The amused smile she sent him had him blushing lightly. Stalling 101.

"Well, from what I've heard, he's the one to take you to the hospital and you've been staying with him."

"Yeah," he whispered as he fidgeted a bit.

"What's he like at work?"

"He's Boss," he said with a shrug. "He's the leader and the backbone of our team. Well, that's not true," he said to himself as he remember the short time Gibbs had been in Mexico. Their team had picked themselves up and moved on while he was gone. "He's actually more…the drive. He keeps us going no matter what."

"He works you hard."

"He works us to our best," he corrected with a short burst of upset. He looked away afterwards. "Sorry."

"No need to apologize," Dr. Meyers assured.

Nodding as he still looked away, he didn't need to try and figure out why he was upset at Dr. Meyers' wording. Over the years he's heard the comments and scuttlebutt from others around the building and it still angered him though he's learned to ignore it. People thinking that because Gibbs had no life and no family that he thought it was okay to work them like slaves. That he got off with the way he led their team with long hard hours and head-slaps that sometimes left them dizzy. And that he enjoyed putting the fear in others.

But it was nonsense. Gibbs may get enjoyment out of giving them head-slaps, but those were few these days. He didn't give them that much and if he did then they really deserved it for being off track. Putting the fear in others wasn't his fault. He was just a strong leader—Alpha—and everyone else wasn't up to his level. They get up there and they wouldn't be so scared of him. And they only worked long hours when a case called for it. They weren't the best team for nothing. They did their job to the best of their abilities, to bring the murderers, scammers, kidnappers, and rapists to justice. If that required working two to three days straight then so be it.

It wasn't like Gibbs didn't reward them with a day off or half a day.

Gibbs demanded the best because he knew they could deliver; he saw what they were capable of and pushed them. They wouldn't be on the team if they weren't able to keep up.

"He's a great leader."

Dr. Meyers watched him before requesting, "Tell me about your team. You've worked with them for eight years."

"Well, there's Gibbs, obviously. Then there's Tony DiNozzo; Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo." He cracked a smile at that one. "He's senior field agent and is Gibbs' second. He's a classclown really; goofing off, pranks, movie trivia and references, talking, talking, and talking."

"Seems childish," she inputted.

"He's a darn fine agent," he defended. "He's good at reading people and interrogating. And he's smart. Not to mention a great friend. He's loyal to a fault, he'll back you up and defend you no matter what. He cares deeply and I know the losses we've had shook him more than he showed.

"Then there's Ziva David. She came after we lost our teammate Kate. She scared me to be honest at first, she used to work for Mossad. But I always respected her too. She's a strong woman that can overcome anything and like Tony, she cares more than she shows. She and I get along great, she's like another sister.

"Abby Scuito's our lab rat. Her and I…we have a history. I used to love her. Well, I still love her, but I'm not _in_ love with her anymore. We're better off as friends really. She is…the happiest Goth you'll ever meet." Dr. Meyers' raised an eyebrow at that and had Tim chuckle. "Yeah. Well, she's not a Goth. She's a scientist. Abby's her own person.

"There's Dr. Mallard. We call him Ducky though. He works in Autopsy and he's really the backbone of the team. We all go to him when we need to talk, even Gibbs who doesn't talk. We like to joke that Gibbs is a functional mute. But for Ducky he talks and goes to for advice. He's sweet and gentle and talks to the dead who come to his tables. He doesn't solve cases like we do but he does it by giving the deceased a voice. I really can't image ever going to Autopsy and not seeing Ducky there with an offer of a cup of tea, a chair, and open ears.

"And last we have Jimmy Palmer. He's Ducky's assistant. He's a little awkward and gets nervous easily, especially around Gibbs, but he's great. I can't imagine going into Autopsy without seeing Jimmy there with Dr. Mallard, talking and assisting Ducky."

"…That's quite the team Tim."

He smiled. "Yeah. We're weird and dysfunctional but that's us."

She watched him. "You're family."

"Yeah. We've been through a lot—"

"Like your incident," she interrupted.

"—but we always bounce back. We're going to get through this Doctor," he said with determination. "I won't let this ruin my family. I just…have to get back into the state of mind I was before and everything will be alright. I'll be the Timothy McGee they know and everything will be fine."

"You're talking about locking yourself away Tim."

Tim shook his head and got up, walking over to the window. "No. This is who I am. I am Agent Timothy McGee and I'm a member of Agent Gibbs' team. My computer skills help catch criminals, my partners have my six while I have theirs, and we are the best.

"They already know my abilities that benefit the team. What does it matter if they know that my degrees are doctorates and I have five? It's not relevant. Who cares if I've worked on projects that have not only helped our country but the people defending it? It doesn't help our team. It's in the past. No," he shook his head, "the Timothy I am now and have lived is who they know and care for. I'm giving him back to them."

"Timothy," she said and waited till he turned to face her, "as you've said, they're family. So…why shouldn't they know the real you?"

* * *

Tim made his way back and his mind was occupied with the questions Dr. Meyers left him with. He made it to the backdoor to let Jethro in and proceeded to dry him before letting him any further into the house. After he dried Jethro as much as he could, he headed to the kitchen to make something simple for dinner and grabbed a soda. He didn't drink them often with him losing weight and wanting to keep it off, but he did indulge a time or two.

Walking to the living room, he was about to sit on the couch when he paused and looked at the lamp on the side table. It was off center and he distinctly remembered centering it a few days ago. Maybe Gibbs or someone else from the team bumped and shifted it during one of their many visits. There were a lot of variables, so he just straightened it back and finished sitting down and turning on the TV, Jethro sitting at his feet and watching along.

It wasn't long before Gibbs was walking through the door with Tony right behind him. Seemed Tony didn't like going a day without visiting which was not normal as before Tony used to complain about how he saw Tim too much.

"Hey Probie," he said with a grin as he came to the living room and took the other side of the couch. "How'd it go with the doc?"

Tim shrugged before taking a sip of his coke, his mind silently calculating the weight of the half full can after emptying a sixteenth of the carbonated drink. Formulas filtering through of what was in a carbonated drink though of course he didn't have everything given the fact he was drinking a Coke and their recipe was top secret.

"McGee."

Shaking away the numbers, he turned his attention to Gibbs as he came to join them, taking the left over seat. "Yeah Boss?"

"How'd it go?"

"Alright," he shrugged. "Left me with some questions."

"Like?" Tony asked as he took a bite of the sandwich Gibbs made for them both.

He glanced at the other two men and back down at his can, his mind firing off both pros and cons of telling the questions, especially the one main one. He didn't realize he was thinking silently for so long that Gibbs and Tony had a private conversation before Gibbs spoke. "It's alright McGee. You don't have to tell us."

Silently sighing in relief, he nodded and gave a small smile. "Thanks Boss."

"So," Tony said, "what did you do today?"

"Nothing much. Just the doctor's appointment really. You?"

"Another cold case day. Man, Probie, I can't wait until you come back. It's pretty boring without you there."

Looking at the older man and seeing that he wasn't joking but being sincere, he gave a warm smile. "Thanks Tony."

"No problem," Tony said with a clap to his back and turned back to what Tim already had on the television. He didn't want to focus too much on that smile Tim gave him because it practically lit his face and spread something warm through himself. He didn't want to dwell on it too long. "So what are we watching?"

"Uh, a pirate movie. No idea what it's called."

"Probie!" he scolded.

And Tony proceeded to find out what it was and then Tim and Gibbs let Tony inform them of the story and the facts behind it instead of just letting them watch it.

Gibbs watched his boys as they watched movies and inwardly smiled at their usual picking and bantering. It wasn't till the credits of the second _Pirates of the Caribbean_ rolled up that he looked at them again to see them both asleep. After Tony stopped talking about the movie that was on when they arrived, Tony decided that it wasn't that good of a movie to watch, let alone talk about, so he had decided to put in the first _Pirates of the Caribbean. _They watched it before he put in the second one and only a quarter of the way, Tim started to doze off.

But whenever Tony stopped talking so he could sleep, Tim would wake up and try to stay awake. Gibbs remembered his little girl doing the same thing when she tried to stay up late with him. It was when he just kept playing and talking that she finally fell into a deep sleep. So when Tim started to doze again, Gibbs motioned for Tony to continue.

Shortly after Tony started to drift off himself, and now, they were both out on his couch. Tony was slouch with his head tipped back and Tim was right beside him, his head resting on Tony's shoulder. He had moved to cuddle sometime around when the pirates were abandoning the Black Pearl before the Kraken returned.

He was glad to see his boys looking so peaceful.

His eyes drifted down to where their hands were grasped and couldn't help but shake his head as he turned off the movie, not really caring about the last few seconds they put at the end of the very long credits. His boys never spoke out loud about it, but they depended on one another more than anyone else on the team. Tim was Tony's probie, he helped teach him and toughen him up and in the process, Tim had Tony's six, stepping up to be his second. Didn't matter if Gibbs was there or not, Tim was Tony's second.

As he walked over to the couch and absently ran his fingers through Tim's hair, pushing it to the side, he watched as Tim sighed and fell into a deeper sleep due to Gibbs' thumb that gently rubbed the middle of this forehead. There was something about that fatherly thumb… He wasn't afraid to admit—to himself at least—that he missed putting it to use. Reaching over to do the same to Tony, he watched him as Tony let out a content sigh, something he's never heard from him, and turn his head so that his cheek rested against the top of Tim's head.

Since tomorrow was the weekend, he figured he'd let Tony sleep over. So shortly getting Tony's shoes off—Tim was already barefoot—he took a blanket and spread it over his boys before turning off the TV and lights. He took the mutt out for a last bathroom break and while the mutt did his business he went to get his bed and move it to the living room by Tim's feet. Letting him back in, he checked the doors and windows and turned off all the lights, and then headed to bed.

* * *

Tony blinked his eyes open as he woke and frowned in confusion as he was in Gibbs' living room. _'What the…?'_

A movement to his left came to his attention and he saw that it was Tim, asleep, and snuggled up to his side. He watched his Probie sleep and felt himself smile as the younger man smacked his lips before going still except for his breathing. He always knew that Tim was young, hell he was practically a baby when he joined the team. All baby faced and innocent. But he watched him grow and learn into the capable and excellent agent he was today. However, there were times, like now, that he was reminded how young he was. He was about eight years younger than himself, practically the baby on the team as everyone was older.

He hadn't lied to Tim earlier when he said that it was boring without him. It was just him and Ziva with Gibbs. They had plenty to talk about, but he always turned to look at Tim's desk, to bring him into the conversation or get him to back him up, only to remember that he wasn't there. Thankfully the others didn't mention his constant forgetfulness and just continued the conversation.

Tim was always there. Always. He never took a vacation until Gibbs and Vance had to order it. He was never even late. Hell, that day his sister got into trouble, it had been only about thirty minutes before they all worried about him and started calling to see where he was. They would have done it earlier but they waited in case he was late for traffic.

Like Gibbs said when Ziva questioned their concern when it took hours for them to be worried about her during the time she was framed. "You're not McGee."

Tim was punctual, reliable, a freaking constant.

That word had been repeating in his head since the whole situation started with Clea Thorson, but it was just the absolute truth. Tim was his constant, and to have it threatened to be taken away shook him. It still shook him whenever he looked to Tim's desk at work because it constantly reminded him that if Tim's doctor doesn't give the go ahead and the clear that Tim was capable—which he was—then Tim could forever be unable to work there. Beside him.

And that was unacceptable.

Tony sleepily watched Tim and promised himself that he would help Tim. And not just for himself, but for Tim as well. He would ask what he needed to do to help later when they were both up.

Without realizing it, he pressed a kiss to Tim's forehead before succumbing to sleep again; not seeing the older man watching from the doorway.

The next time he woke, Tim was gone, the sun was up, and there was a noise coming from the kitchen. Getting up and stretching, groaning as his back cracked, he first headed off to take care of business and then to the kitchen to see Gibbs drinking his coffee and reading the paper with Tim making breakfast. He had obviously showered and changed, wearing jeans and a clean shirt, barefoot.

It seemed cozy and domestic and seeing Tim barefoot set something off in the pit of his stomach that he decided to ignore.

"Morning."

"Good morning," Tim greeted, Gibbs offering a nod and gesture to the coffee pot. "What do you want? Bacon or sausage?"

"What do you got?" he asked curiously as he looked over Tim's shoulder to see him in the middle of making an omelet and some bacon. Even had a steak going, no doubt for Gibbs. He glanced at Tim and saw him looking happy and peaceful and he quickly stepped back and over to the coffee before he did something.

What the hell was the matter with him?

"I'll take bacon. Thanks Probie," he said as he went to join Gibbs, looking away from the way the older man was watching him. "So what's on the agenda today?"

Tim shrugged as he set aside the bacon and put on more. "I was thinking of taking Jethro for a walk and go to the park. Other than that…"

From the way Tim trailed off he could tell his Probie was a little lost and he didn't really like that. "What do you usually do?"

"Uh, if we're not working then I take Jethro to the park, do some writing."

"How's that going?"

Again Tim shrugged. "It's coming along."

"Can we hear what you got so far or is it a secret?" he asked with a grin.

Tim sent a smirk over his shoulder and Tony stopped himself in time from staring at his lips. He stayed focused on the eyes; though, when it became hard to look away from those bright green eyes he didn't know.

A nudge under the table to his foot brought him back and he blinked his eyes and looked to Gibbs. But the older man wasn't looking, he was just reading the newspaper. Mentally shrugging and figuring it was Jethro walking around, he again turned his attention back to Tim as he was finishing filling the plates and bringing them over.

"Looking good Probie."

"Thanks," he said and followed with a deep blush when Tony took his first bite of the omelet and moaned out loud. Holy molasses that was good. Fluffy and with a hint of spice. And fluffy.

"Damn Probie. Where'd you learn to make this?" A glance at Gibbs showed the man enjoying the breakfast just as much though he looked used to it.

"My mom," Tim said. "Uh, when I was growing up, I could tell my mom felt like I was drifting away with school and working on the camero with my dad. So I asked her to teach me to cook. With my knowledge of what was in ingredients and what made them the way they are and how I know how they would react with another, we experimented and bonded."

He thought of his own mother and remembered the times he spent with her. It hadn't been long compared to Tim, but he cherished his time with his mother and he too remembered hanging out with his mother in the kitchen. Midnight snacks of brownies and the calming cup of cocoa when he had a nightmare and went to her for comfort. Seemed like the perfect place for a mother and son to hang out. The mother got to bake or whatever while the son got to help and then eat afterwards. And if a food fight broke out, the better.

"Now every Sunday when we're not on a case I video chat with mom and we make something."

"Part of your schedule?"

Tim paused as he went to take a sip of his coffee and looked at him with blank eyes. He didn't have to think hard on if Tony was playing with him or genuine. He's worked with the man for eight years and he knew his facial expressions. It was why now if Tony wanted to joke with him or pull a prank, he had to do it behind his back. Back when he was a Probie he didn't know Tony and couldn't tell whenever he was joking and being serious. Now he could.

"Yes," he finally answered being taking a drink of his coffee. He and Gibbs have had their own sort of routine when he got out of the hospital. Tim would wake early to make he and Gibbs breakfast, eating silently before Gibbs left and Tim started his day. He usually ended the day by making breakfast for the following day for Gibbs in case he was called to a case before they could eat. He didn't need the words to know that Gibbs appreciated it. It was the way he smirked every time he opened the freezer and saw it there waiting.

Living with Gibbs and his dad had set him back into a routine of when he was a child and he used to help his mom make breakfast and lunch the night before for his dad. His dad had picked up on it and smiled in remembrance.

"About that," Tony said after taking a few more bites of his omelet, the whole thing almost gone, "what can we do to help? You know…to help."

Shrugging, he just said, "Just act normally," he said, not even bothering to bring up that he should probably go back to his apartment. Gibbs already made up his mind that Tim was staying with him during his probation so there was no point arguing with the man. He was the most stubborn man he'd come across and that was something compared to his own father.

"…We do," Tony frowned, glancing at Gibbs who was just silently watching.

"Gibbs and Ducky do, and you do too. To an extent anyway."

"What does that mean?"

"You keep watching me as if I'm going to relapse like some addict and decide to write on myself or disappear."

"You still draw away from us and write in your notebook."

"I need to," he snapped in defense. "I always need to."

"See, right there, I didn't even know. Why don't I know that, Tim? Why don't we know that? Why did you hide your past?"

He glared, feeling defensive of his past decision to hide who he was, completely ignoring how he questioned it himself just yesterday during his doctor's appointment. "Why should I have told you? You already messed with me because of how smart I was and everything else. How would you have reacted if I told you that I didn't have degrees but doctorates and that I have five? How would you have reacted if I told you that before I became your little probie that I was creating things in a lab? How would you have reacted if the new rookie that you already thought shouldn't be an agent told you that he's done thi—"

He stopped as soon as he realized what he was about to say.

Looking at Tony and Gibbs, he suddenly needed to get away. "I'm taking Jethro for a walk," he said and got up, putting his plate in the sink, and after calling Jethro and putting on his leash, he headed out.

* * *

**A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! They're appreciated.**


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

"Boss, I…"

"I know," he assured as he finished his coffee, keeping his own surprise at the turn of events to himself. Not to mention how his mind was running with the possible outcome of what Tim would have said if he hadn't cut himself off.

Seemed there was still something his boy was hiding and he honestly didn't think he could take any more surprises. And if there was anyone in their family that surprised him the most it was always Tim. Abby was pretty predictable no matter how much she thought she wasn't; Tony was an open book, at least to an extent. Something happened to him and he talked about it. Ziva was so guarded and protective of both herself and her family that she didn't do anything without careful thought. Unless it was reflex and that was only when it came to fighting.

Tim on the other hand was silent about both his past and present. Gibbs usually wished that Tony took Tim's approach and kept his personal life to himself. Sure he liked knowing how his family was doing outside of work every now and again, but he didn't really need to know every one of Tony's escapades.

No, because Tim kept things to himself, he had a way of surprising Gibbs. He surprised him with the writing, with the obsession with jet packs, with how quickly he picked up things. Hell, he already worked fast on the computer, but whenever he cheered to himself for breaking a record Gibbs had to almost stop himself from giving the younger man a pat on the head or back for a good job. He looked so happy and proud of himself during those times.

"Boss?"

Mentally shaking away his thoughts, he stood and took his dishes to the sink. "Let him have his space for a while."

Glancing back at Tony and seeing the way he was staring after the door, he knew Tony would do it. Reluctantly, but he would let Tim have some space after his little outburst. Again his mind went to the way Tim had cut off what he was going to say and his gut went off.

* * *

He sat in his car a few down from "Bob" as he watched Timothy in the park with his dog. It was ridiculous how he was sitting in his car taking pictures and no one noticed or thought that it was odd. They just continued walking as if it was normal. He knew "Bob" wanted to do his own surveillance of Timothy before he made his move, but really, he was taking longer than he expected. Not that he thought "Bob" would succeed.

He didn't want him to succeed. He wanted to take Timothy McGee's life himself. Not "Bob". No, for now he was going to let "Bob" do his thing while he played with Timothy.

He chuckled just remembering the way he watched Timothy through the big front window and saw the younger man frown at the lamp. Something as simple as a moved lamp had grabbed Timothy's attention. He had enjoyed sneaking into the house while Timothy was away at his doctor's appointment and moving it. It definitely wasn't what he wouldn't have liked—maybe setting the house to explode once he walked inside sounded good—but no. Driving Timothy crazy and make him think he was losing his mind was a little more fun. Besides, why not make him crazy and paranoid before taking his life? It would be more fun when everything was revealed to the little snot.

* * *

Tim threw Jethro's ball as he tried to calm himself. He didn't even really have anything to be mad about except for at himself. Tony had just been wondering how to help him, to help him get back on track so he could get back to work, and everything had snowballed from there. Even so far that he almost spilled the last remaining secret that he had. The one secret that he wasn't proud of.

Not even his father knew the secret.

"Ah, Timothy."

Looking up, he saw Ducky approaching with his late mother's dogs. Instantly he knew this wasn't a coincidence. Besides, Gibbs didn't believe in coincidences and neither did he. There was no such thing. Ducky didn't live anywhere near Gibbs or the park and for him to "bump" into him after he left the house the way he did, it definitely wasn't an accident.

"Hey Ducky," he greeted while leaning down to pet the little things while Ducky let them off their leash and they ran after Jethro who greeted them with a bark and his rubber ball. Tim didn't bother letting him have tennis balls because he went through those things real quick, and got yellow fuzz everywhere. So he bypassed the yellow fuzz and just gave him rubber toys, along with a bone every now and again. It was his treat.

"How are you, lad?"

"Fine."

"Just fine? How were your appointments?"

Tim shrugged as he watched the dogs, not returning Ducky's stare. "Routine." Out of the corner of his eye he could see Ducky trying to suppress a smile and he frowned at that. He didn't see where the amusement was. "What?"

"Just…you remind me a lot of Jethro," he said and Tim stared at that.

Him? Like Gibbs?

Ducky openly smiled at his confused look, it wasn't often that Timothy was confused and didn't understand something. And even if he did he usually caught on _very_ quickly. He nodded as he looked back to the dogs, petting Jethro when he came over for a pet before running back out to play.

"You both keep to yourselves; you keep everything to your chest. Everyone seems to forget the shock they went through when they found out about Shannon and Kelly, a secret that Jethro kept to himself. Just as shocked as they are now, knowing about your past, a past you kept to yourself."

He glanced over at the young man before continued. "Let's not forget that stubbornness of both of yours, loyalty, honor, and caring and love of a family."

Ducky watched as Timothy looked off, his mind running with what he said and he waited silently. Another comparison to Jethro. You never rushed or interrupted them from thinking or trying to solve something. You let them get there on their own and at their own pace or they felt pushed and fought back. They got defensive and refused to see what you were trying to show them.

It wasn't long before Timothy shook his head. "No. No, we're not alike."

"You both want justice for those who can't get it themselves."

"Who doesn't?"

"You both have a compassion for the children, who respond to you in kind."

"So do Tony and Ziva, though Tony doesn't have luck with the kids even though he tries. Except there was that little DiNozzo Jr. we had one time."

Ducky nodded.

"And we're just…nothing alike, Ducky. I'm the geeky baby of this family that has nothing in common with his da—with Gibbs."

He looked at the young man who was making sure not to look his way. Only the deaf could have missed what Tim almost said. Ducky stared at the young man that was working so hard not to work his way.

Ducky too looked out to watch the dogs. "I never had much in common with my dear mother. We had the love of the finer things, but that was about it. However, no matter what, I knew she loved me."

Tim still continued to stare off, and not wanting to push the lad any further, he pulled out the crossword puzzle book that he had bought after hearing about Tim's talent. One that he put to the test each time he visit.

"It doesn't make it hurt less," Tim whispered.

No, it wouldn't. You may know that they love you, but not having something in common still hurt. Especially when it gave you nothing to talk about.

Deciding to take Tim's mind off of the matter, he held up the puzzle book in question and smiled when Tim gave him a small smile in answer. Opening up to the next puzzle, he handed the book over so that Tim could study the puzzle. Tim handed back the book and Ducky took out his pen.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes," Tim nodded, smiling a little more.

"Okay, seventeen across, ten letters, clue—_expropriate_."

"_Commandeer_."

Ducky checked the back and nodded before filling it and moving to the next one. "Twenty-four across, seven letters, clue—_horse back in the pack._"

Tim chewed on that one before answering, "That would be _also-ran_."

"Three down, five letters, clue—_subdues._"

"Three down?"

Ducky nodded.

"_Tames._"

"_Tames_? Is that your final answer?" Ducky asked with a whisper, playing the devil's advocate that Tim never fell for.

"Final answer, Ducky."

"And how do you know that?"

"The _M _intersects with _commandeer _and the _S _intersects with _also-ran_."

Shaking his head in wonder as he looked in the back to see that he was correct, he wrote it down and they continued their game as the dogs played together in the park.

* * *

Tony made his way back home after finishing his breakfast that still tasted good but he barely registered it. He hadn't meant for what happened to happen. At all. Everything had snowballed, quickly, into Tim walking out.

And it didn't escape his notice either that Tim almost let something slip. What that was, he didn't know. And frankly, he didn't know if he wanted to. Sure, he wanted to know all he could about his Probie, he was _his_ after all, but he didn't know if he could take any more surprises. After what happened anyway, he wasn't about to push for Tim to finish what he had started to say.

No, this was about Tim, and Tim obviously needed time to say what he needed. Or to at least keep that last secret to himself.

* * *

When Tim returned to Gibbs' house, Jethro right beside him, he found the place empty. Then he found a note from Gibbs saying that the team was called in for a case. He remembered that they had the weekend off, so the case must have been real important for Vance to call them in. Shrugging, fed Jethro and took him out the bathroom. When they went back inside, Tim wondered around, trying to think of what to do.

Again, the free time on his hands was creeping up on him, letting his mind wonder. And after what he almost spilled, it wondered into a part of his memory that he always kept under lock and key, a part he didn't want to remember.

* * *

**A/N: **I know it's short compared to my other chapters. Sorry. But I wanted to give you all an update. Crossword is from Ted Dekker's "Blink of an Eye". Also, if you're a regular reader of my stuff, I wanted to let yall know that I'm going to try and not get deleted. So I'm going to remove my pure smut/slash stories and remove the smut/slash scenes from my other stories. "Uncensored" versions will be on other sites.

In this case, for my NCIS stories, it's on NFA Community.

Even though I'm pissed at how fanfiction is turning it's back on us, I'm still stupidly loyal to this place so I'm going to try to fix my stuff before they find and remove me.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

"I think I'm going crazy," Tim admitted as he sat in Dr. Meyers' office. He longed to stand by the window, look out and not feel so trapped, but his paranoia wouldn't allow him to be out in the open. And that pushed his feeling of being trapped up a notch.

"What makes you say that?" she asked neutrally; as if him going crazy wasn't a possibility. But it was. He was prone to developing schizophrenia, especially now at his age. It was what he feared when he was younger.

"I have headaches."

"Are you sleeping?"

Pausing, he contemplated answering the question truthfully but in the end slowly shook his head. His thoughts were constantly running—whether with equations and theories or memories he tried to keep buried—making it hard to fall asleep. And he had a feeling Gibbs knew he wasn't sleeping, but wasn't saying anything. Probably waiting for Tim to say something.

"Are you eating?"

Again he shook his head. His paranoia left him with little appetite and again he knew it wasn't escaping Gibbs' notice. He ate dinner with the man, but other than that, he didn't eat. He couldn't keep it down; could barely keep dinner down as it is.

"That's not healthy, Tim," she said. She watched him before questioning, "What happens when you're sleep deprived and aren't eating enough?"

"You become stressed," he answered immediately.

Nodding, she set her pen down. "Stress is good in some situations—"

"Fight or flight," he again answered.

"Yes. However, what happens when your body takes on too much stress?"

Wanting to hate her for making him think logically about what was happening to him, he sighed while he folded his arms and answered her.

"Memory problems, inability to concentrate, anxiety," he whispered. Again he sighed when she motioned him to go on because they both knew where this was going. "Aches and pains, headaches, nausea, chest pains, irritability, agitation, feeling overwhelmed, depression, eating and sleeping more or less."

"And so much more. Stress is bad when there's too much Tim, and frankly, you have too much stress."

"Well how can I not!" he exploded as he got up from the couch and paced. "I'm living a happy, somewhat normal life given who I spend my hours with, and suddenly my past comes back to haunt me and disrupt everything I've worked hard to hide. And now, I'm still trying to recover from being poisoned, I have all this stupid free time that I don't know what to do with, my friends treat me differently, and these memories…" He slapped the side of his head to emphasize the fucking memories in his head. "They won't leave me alone!"

Dr. Meyers watched him as he paced and until finally she asked, "Tim, please sit down."

Suddenly exhausted, he sat back down on the couch and tried to calm down. With a few deep breaths in and out he finally calmed down enough. "I'm sorry."

"No harm done. Now, what won't leave you alone?"

"My memories," he whispered.

"What memories?"

Looking up at her, he only had to stare for two seconds before she realized. "Oh." She stared back for another few seconds before silently grabbing her pen and Tim knew he was in for a long session.

* * *

"He won't talk to me, Ducky," Tony complained as the crime scene. "I mean, it's been almost a week since the incident and he still won't talk about it. He just…shuts me out if we even get close to the subject. And I swear, he's looking worse and worse the more his probation goes on."

Ducky silently sighed as he looked down at the body. Though, he did have to agree on that last part. He had visited Tim as much as he could and the times he did see him, he looked worse with bags under his eyes and exhaustion written on his face.

"DiNozzo!"

"Yes Boss!"

Jethro jerked his head for Tony to go over and Ducky watched as Tony jogged over to where Jethro was. And for now he turned his attention away from the troubled young man and to the body that lay before him.

"Yeah, Boss?"

"Concentrate on the case."

"But…" And giving Tony the look, the younger man reluctantly nodded. "Yeah, Boss."

"Good. Go help Ziva."

"Yeah, Boss."

He watched Tony head over to join Ziva and left him to his own thoughts. Even though he told Tony to focus on the case, he couldn't help but let his mind wonder to his youngest boy as well.

He had been doing fine until that short rift between him and Tony and he seemed to be going down. Tim thought he was hiding it, but Gibbs knew the young man wasn't eating. Wasn't even sleeping. He heard Tim rustling and moving around in his temporary room and it left him worried. What was bothering his boy so much that he couldn't sleep or eat?

Pushing the thoughts away for now, he turned his attention back to the case and went over to join Ducky over the body. "Time of death?"

"Approximately twelve hours ago."

"Cause of death?"

"As you well know, I won't be able to confirm anything until I get him into autopsy, but guessing from the wounds in his chest, I'd say shot right to the heart."

"Execution?" Palmer asked from the other side of the body.

"Execution usually involves a shot to the head, head tap," Ducky clarified, "but with the grouping…"

"Killer knew where to shoot," Gibbs finished. He didn't like it. "We got an ID?"

Ziva came over with a notepad and information. "Our victim is Lieutenant Roy Masters. He's actually stationed over at Norfolk."

"Norfolk?" Tony questioned as he joined them. "What's he doing over here?"

"That's what we're going to find out."

* * *

Tim sat in his car as he stared into nothingness. He had left his appointment feeling only slighter better than when he went in. However, when he made it back to Gibbs' house, it had evaporated. Things were shifted from what he remembered; well, from what he could remember. His days were running together with all the free time he had, the stress was taking a toll and he was having a hard time remembering if a lamp was that many inches from the edge or not. Or if he had left the remote sideways instead of straight.

He looked over when Jethro whined and after giving him an absent rub, he grabbed his bag and exited his car. They made their way through the garage and inside, Tim nodding to whoever gave him a hello or wave. He didn't stick around though to talk to anyone who was wondering where he's been.

Inside, he quickly made his way to Abby's lab and almost sighed with unknown relief when he heard her loud music.

"Abby!"

She whirled around and squealed with happiness. "McGee! Jethro!" She ran over for a quick hug that he returned before she knelt down to give the rest of her attention to Jethro who soaked it up. "How are you boy? How are you?"

"Probably sick of me with how much I'm at Gibbs'."

"I doubt that," she said as she peppered Jethro with kisses. "Jethro loves you. Don't you Jethro?" And Tim rolled his eyes when Jethro gave a bark that had Abby laughing. "See."

"Yeah."

Abby finally stood and headed back to her work, but turned down the music enough to let Tim know that he was expected to stay a bit. "What's up?" she asked.

"Nothing."

She paused in her typing to look at him and he looked away from her scrutiny. Because they dated and the fact that Tim was an open book, Abby could easily read him. But he didn't want her reading him right now. He just needed some normalcy, and even though Abby would probably be insulted at being considered that, that's what she was. She was a normalcy to him and he was already basking and calming at being near something familiar.

Being stuck at Gibbs' house with nothing but his thoughts and Jethro—who could only distract him for so long—wasn't helping him. He's used to a schedule and working was his schedule. Without that schedule, without the routine of coming to work and dealing with cases and being with his friends, he was practically lost. And he didn't like being lost. It was an unnatural feeling and he didn't like it.

Feeling trapped yet exposed.

"McGee?"

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he looked back at Abby and tried to give her a smile. It was weak, he knew, but it was the best he could do at the moment. "Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

"I…I don't know."

She turned away from her work to give him her full attention and tilted her head in a way that he found adorable. A time ago he would have wanted to kiss her when she looked that adorable, actually kiss her anytime really, but now…not so much. He still found her adorable but he no longer had the desire to kiss her slightly pouty lips.

Seems he finally moved on.

"Are your appointments going okay?"

"Yeah," he shrugged. "Just left one actually."

"How'd it go?"

Again shrugging, he looked away from her and to the chemicals she had on her screen. He didn't even need to finish reading them before the compounds and what they were used for filtered through his brain. For a brief moment he felt slightly back to himself before he glanced back at Abby and her worried expression and then it went away.

Standing, he nervously looked around before asking her if she could watch Jethro for a bit while he walked around. She didn't mind, even smiled again, and it wasn't long before he was in the elevator making his way upstairs.

He was slightly worried that he'd run into Vance. God knew what the man would say if he saw him. But his need for normalcy overrode his fear of reprimand and he walked into the squad room when the elevator stopped.

Unfortunately the team wasn't there from what he could tell. They either had a case or Tony and Ziva were making a lunch run while Gibbs did whatever it was he did when he was away from the desk. He was headed towards his desk, continuously looking over his shoulder, but before he could sit in his chair, his name was called.

"Agent McGee."

He looked over to the bullpen next to his team's and saw Agent Cade standing there. Last time he saw the man, he had been yelling at the bus for driving away with him in it. Blushing at the reminder, he gave a small wave. "Uh, hi."

"Hey, how ya doing?"

"I've," clearing his throat before continued, "I've been better." He walked over to the man's bullpen and stood a few feet from him. "Sorry. About…you know."

"Don't worry about it," he said in his deep voice and a wave of his big hand. "I'm the one who's sorry. I had a job to do and I didn't deliver." He stared down at him, obviously contemplating to say something, before he spoke. "DiNozzo wasn't too happy with me for losing you."

Deciding not to dwell on the feeling that gave him, he shook his head. "How'd you get involved in being my babysitter in the first place?"

Cade walked away for a few seconds and came back with a chair for him to sit in and they both sat while he explained how he knew Gibbs before NCIS. And how Gibbs had placed his trust in him apart from his own team to watch him and that he still felt ashamed for losing Tim.

Tim tried to reassure him. "Hey, I'm pretty sure my team would have lost me as well if they had been in your position."

"…Probably."

"So stop beating yourself up."

Chuckling, the large man nodded before explaining that Gibbs' team had been called out on a case and the rest of his own team had gone on a lunch run. That was why he was alone in their bullpen.

It wasn't long before they grew quiet and Tim could feel his thoughts drifting. Thankfully, Cade let him hang with him for a little longer while he continued to go over a cold case he had been looking at before he spotted Tim. Tim in the meantime pulled his notebook out of his bag and began writing.

* * *

They pulled back into NCIS and were discussing what they had so far as they made their way inside. However, before they reached the elevator, another agent that Tony shared a few words with every now and again stopped him. "Hey DiNozzo, McGee alright?"

Frowning, he nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"I don't know. He just seemed a bit…different."

Both Gibbs and Ziva turned at that and Tony asked, "You saw him?"

"Yeah," he said with a nod. "He's up in the squad room. Said hi to him and I don't know. Seemed different a bit."

Looking at each other, they quickly made their way to the elevator and up to the squad room just in time to hear Barrett talking to Cade. "What the hell is he doing?"

They, along with their third team member Levin, were standing just in front of the elevator, outside their bullpen.

"I don't know," Cade shrugged.

"Well…" she frowned as she looked back into her bullpen where Tim was sitting in a chair beside Cade's desk, writing furiously into a notebook. And right then Tony knew it was a bad day for Tim. He observed that Tim only pulled out the notebook when his thoughts became too much and that happened on bad days. "Well…"

"Look, he came to see Gibbs' team, they weren't here, we got to talking, and I didn't want to kick him out."

"He has Abby."

"He came from seeing Abby."

Barrett sighed before looking around, finally spotting them and sighing again but this time in relief. "Thank God," she muttered. "McGee's in my bullpen."

"You have a problem with that?" Ziva asked and Tony winced, but his eyes never left Tim who still hadn't noticed them.

"Uh, yeah."

"Why?" she asked coolly. "You are always eavesdropping into our cases and conversations, and McGee…is merely sitting there."

"Alright, that's enough," Gibbs thankfully said before a fight could break out between the two women who hated each other. "We have a case. Get to work."

"But—"

"Now DiNozzo," Gibbs instructed and grudgingly he turned and headed to their bullpen while Gibbs looked to Cade. "How long has he been here?"

"Uh, I'm not sure. He was down in Abby's lab before coming up here and it's been about forty-five minutes."

Nodding, Gibbs stepped past Barrett's team and into their bullpen until he was standing beside Tim. One glance told him that Tim had been writing in his notebook for possibly the whole forty-five minutes. "McGee?"

Tim's head jerked up and Gibbs didn't like the look that was in his eyes before it disappeared. "Boss? Hey. Uh, I was just, you know…visiting," he stuttered out as he closed his book and put it in his bag.

"Vance can't see you Tim," he reminded gently. "You're on probation."

"I-I know," he said nodding and Gibbs' gut was shouting at him that something was seriously wrong. Sure Tim had some bad moments where he receded to his notebook, but he never stuttered like this. Like when he was poisoned. He didn't think Tim was poisoned again, but it was something. "I just uh…needed some normalcy," he explained and gave a small smile.

Nodding back, he gently took Tim's elbow and stood him up. Turning to head towards the elevator, he paused when Tim mentioned that he brought Jethro and detoured to the back elevator. Tim saying goodbye to Cade and the team as they left.

They rode down to the right floor and Gibbs just gave a whistle when the doors opened and couldn't help but smirk when Jethro came running. Abby tried to call him back but relaxed when she saw them and the look Abby gave him told him that she too knew something was wrong with Tim. And that he better fix it.

The walk to his car was made silently and it wasn't until Jethro was in the passenger seat that Tim finally spoke. "I think I'm going crazy, Boss."

"No you're not."

Tim scoffed. "First Dr. Meyers and now you. Why is it so hard to believe that I can go crazy?"

He stared at the troubled young man before answering. "Because you're the most level headed person I know. Not to mention you're stubborn as hell."

The younger man frowned in confusion. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"You're too stubborn to let yourself go crazy," he smirked and was happy that it got a small smile from his agent. "Listen, Tim, you're not crazy. You're just…off your game is all. But it'll get better and you'll be back at your desk in no time."

And giving the man a gentle pat on the shoulder, he watched Tim get in his car and drive off before heading back inside to get working on the case.

* * *

He watched Tim arrive and go back into Agent Gibbs' house and chuckled to himself. Oh yeah, everything was going nicely.

It was time to push things along.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you caught on to that crime scnes. The rest of Tim's past is going to be revealed soon. :)**

**PLEASE REVIEW! They're appreciated.**


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

He sat in his car as he watched "Bob" and should have been mad. But he wasn't. Seemed "Bob" was being cocky and thought he could juggle two hits at once as he was on surveillance for another job. "Bob" was lucky he didn't plan for him to live much longer.

"Bob" stood in the park, taking pictures, and he watched with amusement as he started running away from a reporter. Couldn't blame him though; wouldn't want his face spread. The next thing that happened surprised the hell out of him but had him laughing so hard he thought he'd have tears running down his cheeks soon.

"Bob" got hit by a car. All because he didn't look before trying to cross the street. He couldn't have planned it better himself, even if he tried. Oh, it was hilarious. And as everyone freaked out and tried to help him, he turned his car and drove in the opposite direction, making his way to "Bob's" car.

Grabbing what he needed, he quickly broke into the car and checked to make sure everything that was needed was there. Thankfully Timothy's file was in the car, but so was the file on the other target. Snatching that up, he locked the car back up and headed back to his own.

He could care less about the other target. The focus needed to be on Timothy.

* * *

Tim sighed as he sat on the couch, the television providing background noise. He honestly had no idea what was on. Jethro lied down at his feet, peacefully sleeping with his head resting on Tim's shoes. They'd been like that for close to an hour and Tim had no idea what to do. Thankfully he was back to being able to put those memories back under lock and key like they were supposed to be. His mind no longer whirled with numbers and theories. Or they did but not as badly as they used to for the past few weeks.

All in all, things were looking a bit up for him. When Gibbs had come home later that day, when he had gone to visit NCIS, he had actually sat him down to get him to talk. He obviously hadn't talked to Gibbs like he would Dr. Meyers, but it had helped. The man was smart and liked everything straight forward. And in doing so, told him straight out that he needed to calm down and take care of himself. That when he finally took care of himself then he could focus better.

Other people had told him the same thing—even his dad who made it a thing to call him every other day to check up on him—but hearing it from Gibbs just knocked his focus into gear and he did as told. He took better care of himself; he slept more reasonable hours, he was able to eat more than dinner and keep it down, and he was finally able to control his thoughts. All in all he felt better.

Except for that constant feeling of paranoia.

It wouldn't go away. The feeling of being watched, of something just waiting to happen. Jethro was obviously itching for some time on a walk or to go to the park, but his fear was keeping him from leaving the house unless someone was with him. He hated it and he was worried—no matter what Gibbs said—that something mentally was going on with him, making him feel this paranoid. And this was something he couldn't tell Gibbs.

His cell phone ringing jerked him out of his wandering thoughts and he picked his cell off the coffee table before answering it. "McGee."

"Agent McGee."

"Director Vance." His nerves skyrocketed at the sound of Vance's voice on the other end. "Wh-What can I do for you?" he asked nervously.

"I need you to come in."

"O-Okay."

"Twenty minutes."

"Yes, sir." Hanging up, he stared down at his phone before taking a big deep breath before letting it out. His probation was over in only two days. So it was plausible that Vance wanted to meet early and talk about if he was coming back or not.

Not wanting to be late and anger the man, he quickly got up and after letting Jethro out for a bathroom break and letting him back in, he headed out to his car and made his way to work. It wasn't a long drive, Gibbs didn't live that far away, and he made it inside with plenty of time to spare.

"McGee?" Ziva greeted with a confused frown when he stepped off the elevator and walked over.

"Hey," he smiled which was a huge difference to his visit a few days prior.

"Are you alright?" she asked, standing up and approaching him. But he grabbed her hand gently, with a small smile, when she reached her hand out to touch his forehead.

"I'm fine, Ziva," he assured as he lowered their hands. "And you know my…absence hasn't been for fever."

Ziva nodded with a small smile and she eventually stood on her tip toes to press a kiss to his cheek in greeting. "I am glad to see that you are looking more yourself."

"Me too."

"What are you doing here?" she asked as she switched their positions by holding his hand instead and leading him over to behind her desk where she plopped him down where he usually sat while she took her chair. "Your probation isn't over until next Monday."

"Vance called me," he explained, looking over at the empty desks, lingering on his own. It was hard to think about the fact that hadn't sat in his chair for a long time. "Said he wanted to see me," he finished before asking, "Where are the others?"

"Down in Abby's lab."

"Case?"

"Yes," she nodded, suddenly looking frustrated. "We have had this case for a while, actually got it the day you visited, and we are getting nowhere."

Opening his mouth, he was ready to offer some encouragement when his name was called. "McGee!"

Both looking over, they watched Tony jog over to join them, smiling from ear to ear. Tim felt his own lips twitch at Tony's happiness and chose to ignore the warm feeling in his chest that came. It seemed to be happening more and more and it was getting harder to ignore. Especially when Tony smiled like that.

Ziva's nudge to his leg broke him of his train of thought and tried to control the blush that rose. It didn't help with the way Ziva was smirking. "Hey Tony."

"Whatcha doing here?"

"Vance called."

"He giving you trouble?" Gibbs asked as he appeared out of nowhere.

Tim shook his head, feeling that normalcy coming back with being surrounded by his team. Sure there have been times they all came over to visit at Gibbs' house, but being in the building, surrounded by the awful orange walls, it was familiar and he cherished it while he could. "Just called and said he wanted me to come in. Speaking of which, I gotta head up there."

He stood and didn't even pause to press a kiss to the top of Ziva's head before stepping out from behind her desk. Tony clapped him on the back while Gibbs nodded. Feeling their support, he gave them one last smile before turning to head out, only to bump into a hard body. "Oh! Sorry."

"Tim."

Snapping his head up, he gasped when he saw who it was. Lunging forward, he wrapped his arms around the older man's shoulders and clung for a few seconds, in which his hug was returned with just as much enthusiasm.

"Let me look at you." Ron Carter pulled back and held him at arm's length and looked him over before grinning. "You're looking good Tim. How are you?"

"Could be better."

He couldn't stop staring; he hadn't seen Mr. Carter since he left GEN-1 all those years ago. Minus a few more lines and gray hair, he hadn't changed much. The man still was easy to smile at Tim and look at him with so much pride, like his own father. For those years he worked there he had basically had two fathers, Commander McGee and Mr. Carter getting along right away and coming to some unspoken agreement that they would always be there for Tim, when one can't, the other would. His father hadn't been in on his assignments, didn't even know about half of them, but he had still been there for when Tim had trouble.

And he suddenly had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach at Mr. Carter's sudden appearance.

"Probie, you gonna introduce us?"

Shaking his head to clear it, he made quick introductions before talking to Carter again. "What are you doing here?"

"Your director called."

"He did?"

"Yes." They turned to the new voice and Director Vance stood at the edge of their bullpen. "I called him to clear a few things and have a talk." He stepped forward, offering his hand. "Mr. Carter, I'm Director Vance. We spoke on the phone."

Carter only removed one hand from Tim's shoulders to shake Vance's hand to still have a grip on him. "Pleasure, though I am a bit surprised you hadn't informed Tim of this meeting as it pertains to him."

Vance's eyes flickered over both Gibbs' who was staring with annoyance at not being informed of anything as Tim was his agent, and over Tim who was confused, before back to Carter. "Yes. I was going to inform both Agent McGee and Agent Gibbs on the meeting as it not only pertains to Tim but also to the case."

"Of course."

Tim almost smirked as Carter was in boss mode. He may not have been in charge of GEN-1 since a few years after Tim left, but he had gone back into a position of leadership in the Navy, so the leadership came easily. Though he was confused on what case.

"Shall we?" Vance gestured to the stairs. Carter nodded, his grip on Tim the same, causing Tim to follow, with his team following.

They made it to the director's office in no time and all were sitting at the table. Tim sat at one end, Carter beside him, hand surprisingly still holding onto, Gibbs on his other side. Tony sat beside Gibbs while Ziva sat beside Tony, and Vance grabbed a file off his desk before sitting on the other end.

Tim felt pit of his stomach expand and sink lower. He felt like he was going to be sick with nerves. And the wind was knocked out of his lungs when Vance spoke.

"Marvin Porter, Devin Lester, Amanda Robinson, Cheryl Lee, Alek Potrovsky," Vance listed without looking up; Tim feeling himself pale while the others looked confused. But at the last name, their attention was grabbed. "And Lieutenant Roy Masters."

There was a roaring in his ears as he heard names he hadn't heard in years and was involved in the memories he had finally put back under lock and key. The only thing keeping him the tiniest bit grounded was the fact Carter hadn't relinquished his hold on him once. If he hadn't, Tim was sure he would have been hyperventilating—though it was close—or had run.

"What was that?" Tony asked after he shot a worried look his way.

"That is a list of murders that have happened in the last few weeks, all dying with three shots to the chest."

"And you didn't mention this before?" Gibbs asked, obviously not liking the fact Vance had had information to a days old case and hadn't come forward with it.

"Didn't realize it till a few hours ago," Vance said. "Decided to do some digging myself, couldn't help it," he admitted, "and found a similarity between them all."

"…What?" Ziva asked.

At that, Vance looked right at him and he swallowed when all eyes turned to him.

"McGee?"

"Probie?"

"Tim?"

Feeling as if his heart was about to race out of his chest, he looked towards Carter and suddenly knew why Vance had called Carter in. "No," he whispered.

"Tim," Gibbs said, the softest he'd ever heard him, and Tim looked at him. This couldn't be happening. It was one thing for his team to know about Gen-1, but it was another to know about this. What if they hated him? What if Gibbs kicked him off the team?

Tony stared at Tim and had never seen him look so terrified. He looked like he was about to either pass out or run for it. Glancing at the man who hasn't let go of his probie since he arrived out of thin air, he asked, "What is he here for?"

"He's here for clearance," Vance said, finally looking away from Tim and to Mr. Carter. "The information that's needed is classified and only Mr. Carter here to give it. So…Mr. Cater."

Tim looked back at Carter who was watching him. The sadness and regret in his eyes had Tim shaking his head. Carter knew how he wasn't proud of what he used to do, even Carter wasn't proud of it, but the time had called for his creative mind.

The team watched, but he didn't see them. He closed his eyes as Carter spoke. "You have it, but it stays with the people in this room." It was now spoken to the rest of the team. "No one else, not even to the lab girl, doctor, or his assistant you consider your team is to know. I don't care how much you trust them."

In response, Vance stood and hit the button that locked down his office. The locking sound and signal that the room was secure had Tim feeling trapped. He felt cornered and having no way out. This wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to die with this secret, not tell his friends, who he considered family.

He was going to lose them.

A squeeze to his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts and back to the conversation. Vance was explaining how the victims were connected other than himself.

"All the victims worked in a program employed by the government and surprisingly it didn't have a name. It took a while just to get the names of who was in the program and all the victims were on the list with a few other. Including one Timothy McGee."

All eyes returned to Tim and he could feel his breath coming faster and faster. Getting faster as he knew he was going to have to speak. He could see it in their eyes, a demand for answers.

"What I want to know is what that program was."

He sat there, just staring until another squeeze on the shoulder from Carter brought him back to attention. "Tell them."

Pushing back from his seat, he stood quickly and could see dark spots appearing in the corner of his eyes. It wasn't until he smelt the sawdust and heard the low voice of Gibbs that he realized he needed to take a breath or pass out. "That's it, Tim. Breathe."

Taking deep breaths in and out, he finally got a hold of himself and nodded to let Gibbs know he was better. The older man sat back down while Tim walked over to the big window behind Vance's desk so he could look out the window.

"Agent McGee."

And like that, something in his brain clicked and he spoke, his voice void of emotion. Nothing in his voice as he spoke and revealed the last shred of history that he had kept to himself.

"You already know that I used to work for GEN-1 Biotech. I worked on environmental projects. I was actually working on a project when my contract expired, but I wasn't about to be conned by Carter's replacement into working another few years just so I can finish this one project that someone could finish. I had plans that wouldn't be stopped. So, I handed over the design and let the company do what they wanted with it; which was giving it to another researcher to finish..

"However, working for GEN-1 wasn't all I did. When I turned eighteen I joined a program that Carter mentioned." Tim continued to stare out the window, he refused to see the faces of his family when everything was revealed. "I was working on a project when I got stuck. I hadn't slept for three days and barely ate, trying to figure out what I was missing."

"His teammates weren't exactly outgoing so no one was forward and commanding enough to get Tim to sleep," Carter picked up. "I had been away on business before I came back and saw what a wreck he was. When I found him," he chuckled, "he was pretty all over the place. Never let your agent go three days without sleep and hopped up on coffee. Anyway, I finally got him to get sleep, to convince him that he had to sleep so that he could get a fresh start and maybe then find what he was missing.

"When I checked on him the next day, he was a bit refreshed. Not as much as I would have liked, but Tim here is stubborn so I knew when to push and when to step back. However, instead of finding him working on his project, he had been making something."

"…What?"

Carter glanced at Tim, but he didn't see as he was still staring out the window. "A weapon."

Tim didn't need to look to know they were looking at him. He could feel all their eyes on him. Instead of turning to face them, he continued to explain. "I had had a dream, surprisingly with how long I'd gone without sleep, but I had had a dream about being stuck in a room with an enemy in the house, searching for me. I hadn't had anything to protect myself with, only what was in the room. When I woke, I went finding those objects and created a weapon out of it."

The silence was deafening before Vance spoke. "So what was the program?"

"People like me who could create weapons," Tim said emotionlessly. He wasn't proud of what he had joined, what he had created, but his mind worked the way it did and there was no stopping it. And with all the free time he had when he wasn't working on his projects, it had kept him occupied and out of trouble.

"What kind of weapons?" Ziva asked.

He shrugged. "Weapons that certain people could use."

"Agents?" Vance asked.

"Some."

"So, what, you were like Q for James Bond?"

Without force, Tim chuckled at Tony's movie reference, and didn't mind the head-slap Tony got in return.

"Who else did you make them for?"

His brief light mood dimmed and he felt himself tense a bit as he remembered certain memories of certain people he had come into contact with. People he would rather forget. "Certain people."

"…Mercenaries?" Vance asked tightly and softly cursed when Tim nodded once.

Tim watched a few cars drive around before speaking. "You know when musicians tell you that they feel the music; they breathe it…live for it? That's how I am with science. When I walk down the street and see a light post, I know with a glance what it's made of, how it's wired, the voltage of the light. I see the math in my head on when someone will get somewhere with how fast. I can instantly know how long it'll take Gibbs to get somewhere depending on the distance since the speed is always the same." He chuckled to himself on that one. "I can create weapons from objects in this room just by knowing what's in each and every appliance and how they function."

After a glance at Carter who nodded an okay, he continued to give them an idea of what his mind could create. "I once made a cell phone that could explode with enough force and precision that the intended target's head would take the hit and die from the explosion. Almost as if they took a bullet to the head."

Tim looked way from their shocked faces at his admittance. It was what he had hidden for years, so he didn't have to see those kind of faces directed at him. Hell, his own father didn't know about this.

"So yes and no to being Q, Tony. I did create a few things that James Bond would be proud of, but then I created other deadly gadgets."

He was afraid to look at their faces. Would there be disgust, fear, hatred as he was just like the people they put away? A murderer.

"I am surprised my father never found out about you McGee," Ziva said breaking the silence. "He would have recruited you quickly."

The chuckle that came from Tony quickly died at Carter's next words.

"He tried."

If anyone had anything to say to that shocking news, they couldn't as Vance's secretary's voice carried through the room. "Um, Director Vance."

"Angela, I'm on lockdown."

"I know sir," she quickly said and they all looked at the plasma to see her behind her desk and a familiar face standing close by. "But a Detective Sportelli is here and he needs to see Agent Gibbs."

"Sportelli," Gibbs said, "it's going to have to wait."

Sportelli looked around till he found the camera in the corner near the ceiling before shaking his head. "Gibbs, you're going to want to see me. It's important."

"Detective Sportelli," Vance said, getting ready to order the man to wait when the man in the waiting room spoke and silenced them.

"Your boy, McGee," he said waving the file, "is being followed." He then opened it and showed a surveillance photo of Tim sitting on the bench in a park, doing a puzzle with Ducky sitting beside him.

* * *

**A/N: So...what did you think? I thought that was a big enough secret to not want to be known.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! They're greatly appreciated.**

**Oh, and got that cell phone thing from the movie "Law Abiding Citizen."**


End file.
